Wow Bao
835 N Michigan Ave,Lobby Level, Chicago, IL, 60611
Wow Bao Menu
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Address :
835 N Michigan Ave,Lobby Level
Chicago, IL, 60611 - Phone (312) 642-5888
- Website https://www.wowbao.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :8:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage, Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Drive-Thru : No
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Shalin D.
Instructions on how to get your bao faster: 1. Make yourself streamlined and intrepid! The Mag Mile is notoriously crowded. Chances are you'll say "excuse me" a thousand times as you dodge tourists, strollers, richie riches, street performers, and 13 year old girls wearing way too much eyeliner. Recommendations: keep your shoulders to your side to avoid bumping and walk on the curb near the street. Sure, you might have a fatal run-in with the CTA 151 bus but risk is imminent when procuring your bao. 2. Don't make eye contact! If you're local, chances are you'll run into someone at Water Tower Place. This is where Chicago descends on the weekends and during holidays. If you make eye contact, you might get caught up in a conversation with a colleague, a university buddy, or someone in your canasta club. Don't take the risk. Eye on the prize: bao bao bao. 3. Be ruthless! The kiddies swarm around Wow Bao. Especially during holiday sales and weekends. They stand in big circles comparing their "finds" from Forever 21 and H&M (which is, unfortunately, across the street). If they get in your way, don't be afraid of a little hip-check action or a slight hockey shove. And, don't worry, they're teenagers: they have strong bones and their parents' health insurance. Remember: EYE ON THE PRIZE. 4. Don't distract others! Idle shoppers are notorious for initiating small talk while standing in line. While this can be a good time filler, it also slows up the ordering process. Imagine this: you and X are engaged in a conversation about tweed blazers on sale at Banana. They're next in line but they spend 5 minutes closing the conversation before they order. That's five minutes between you and your bao. Do you want to risk it? No. Didn't think so. 5. Know what you want! This is a given. Read the menu beforehand. Engage in some introspection as you walk to Wow Bao and KNOW what you want. When you get there, you'll be ready to bark out your order. To paraphrase a 14 year old Brooke Shields: nothing gets between me and my bao.
(5)Mandy N.
Every time I visti Chicago, I have to go here. It is very good. I wish the bun were bigger so it wouldn't be too pricy for just one bun. The mongolian beef is good, it is spicy and I love spicy food. The BBQ pork was way too sweet but that is not too surprising for oriental food in America. The Thai curry chicken is so so. Anyway, love it. Everybody should try !!!!!!!
(4)Laura S.
Oh. My. God. Fast food steamed pork buns. For $1.65. How do I get someone to open a franchise in Philadelphia? Can I move to Chicago? Who is the brilliant individual who came up with this idea !? I doff my hat to you, sir, I doff my hat.
(5)Christina B.
I've really embraced Wow Bao since my first review... I've recently lost quite a bit of weight and my eating habits have changed. I now like wow bao when I have a taste for Chinese food but know I couldn't handle an entire order of it. The bao is a perfect portion for just a taste of asian cuisine! Also, their Twitter page is one of the more hilarious ones to follow...and they do various promotions via the twitter account--I won tickets to Cirque Shanghai just for re-tweeting something of theirs! In the words of their twitter page: "bao-wow-wow-yippy-yo-yippie-yay!"
(5)Mary B.
Yum I love some hot asian buns... I've had the spicy mongolian beef, it's definitely spicy, but delish, and the thai curry chicken equally yummy. Great to eat when you're on the go and nice on your wallet too! I'm craving some right now just thinking about them!
(4)Sheenal S.
Wow bao is a tiny tuck shop like establishment that sells baos (Chinese buns), rice, noodles, salad and even quinoa with curries and stir fries. Soups are also available and their own brewed ginger bee available in a plain and pomegranate flavour. The food is cheap and delicious. And good after a day before shopping or substantial enough before.tpure out shopping at mag mile. I had the sticky kung pao chicken with rice and the kung pao chicken. Both delicious. Definitely going back
(5)Allen G.
I've had many a wow bao's in my life and they are consistently delicious. Every bao is packed full of really great flavors. My favorite is the chicken terryaki. The buns are always oh so soft and chewy, the perfect consistency for a bao. You have to remember this is american fusion buns. Don't expect chinese restaurant buns at chinese food prices. My wife and I usually get a bun each as a snack or pre-dinner app. The ginger drink here can be hit or miss. It can be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-!: ginger is perfectly spicy, and the overall drink is mildly sweet and oh so refreshing on a hot summer day... even cold winter days at that. My recent visit offered a ginger drink that had zero zing which was disappointing. I would rather they have said that the ginger was sub-par and they don't sell sub-par items, as opposed to selling me sweetened water in this case.
(3)Xiang L.
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(3)Jill O.
Ah yes, Wow Bao. This is part of the reason why I keep visiting Water Tower Place after all these years. It's conveniently located on the first floor/foyer area, so it's easy to pop in and out. Not so convenient, their seating is up a staircase, so be prepared to carry your food up if you're dining in. Wow Bao is really reasonably priced. The bao (steamed dumplings) are only $1.89 a piece. How can that be beat? My girlfriend and I had lunch plans elsewhere, so we only got a quick bite here. I ordered a chicken teriyaki bao, and a coconut custard one ($1.89). She ordered a chicken teriyaki bao, a five-piece order of chicken potstickers with soy ginger sauce ($4.69), and a homemade pomegranate ginger ale ($2.69). The bao (baos?) were delicious. The outside is fluffy and soft, and the inside is full of flavor. The chicken teriyaki filling is sweet,with just the right amount of spice. The coconut custard one was a bit too sweet for my liking, but I'd order it again. The best thing we ordered was actually the potstickers. I've been to Wow Bao a number of times but had never tried them, until she ordered them. They were super flavorful and well cooked, the outside was just the right amount of soft and a little chewy. The dipping sauce complemented them perfectly. The pop was pretty delicious too. If you're torn between the original and pomegranate, definitely go for the pomegranate. This is a great little place for lunch on the go, that delivers great food and flavors for a tiny cost.
(4)Ron B.
When I come to Chicago, my family and I stop here at Wow Bao located at Water Tower place main lobby. We normally buy the Teriaki Chicken or spicy Mongolian Beef. I like the concept of the dough with the meat encased inside. The price ranges fro $1.99 each for one wow bao to $4.99 for a bowl combination. Since I am such on the run, I have yet to taste the bowls. I enjoy the flavor and it is a quick way to kill your hunger on the go.
(3)Frank O.
One of the many Wow Bao locations, this particular one right inside the Water Tower entrance is convenient and quick. It's small, but still has all the same goodies, so it's also efficient (not that such a thing matters much for your food-tasting pleasure). I recommend trying the Mongolian Beef and Kung Pao Chicken. The BBQ pork is also pretty good, but easy to get at any place that serves bao. I'm always curious about the desert bao, but haven't yet gotten the courage to try them, instead preferring to fill up on the meat ones.
(4)Irene G.
Yummy rice bowls (Thai Curry is my favorite) and the baos are delicious Good service Good location
(4)Steph F.
I was intrigued by the modern take to traditional baos and stopped here for a quick snack. My friends and I shared a terriyaki chicken bao, bbq pork bao, and chicken dumplings. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much grabbing a quick snack at a mall, but I was surprised how tasty the little baos and dumplings were. This is definitely a good place to stop if you're on the go or in search of a fulfilling snack.
(4)John F.
I thought their teriyaki chicken was unimpressive. It was like teriyaki stew poured over rice.
(2)Darian J.
I had such high hopes trying Wow Bao for the first time. Whenever I visit Water Tower Place the line is always extensive. So, I finally decided to test the hype. Now, I am a huge lover of anything and everything Asian. I have never tasted more artificial / Americanized Asian food in my life. I was literally on the verge of tears (not really) because the food looked amazing but the tastes seemed like frozen Chinese food. I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken bowl with BBQ pork and Mongolian Beef baos. The only thing I enjoyed was the rice. It was perfectly steamed. All I can say is if you really want to experience a real bao, visit Chinatown. You won't pay such high prices for low quality Chinese food. The reason why this review is not 1 star is because the cashier and cook were so pleasant in attitude.
(2)Jason P.
WOW! Amazingly good. This is the best fast food ever....if you want to call it fast food. Everything here is good, so I don't have to give a long review. Definitely need to try the pomegranate ginger ale.
(5)Al L.
Before we started some shopping in the mall, we decided to get a snack at Wow Bao, which was located just past the entrance. The menu consisted of savory and sweet steamed baos, steam dumplings, rice and noodle bowls and salads. With Bao in its name, baos was what we were going to try. The savory filling choices included spicy kung pao chicken, whole wheat edaname, teriyaki chicken, Thai curry chicken, spicy Mongolian beef and bbq pork. Coconut custard and chocolate were the sweet options. We opted for the Thai curry chicken and bbq pork. After placing our order, we were told that there would be about a ten minute wait for the Thai curry chicken as they were being steamed. We opted to wait as this was an interesting filling for a bao. After getting our order, we took it up to second floor where Wow Bao has tables for its customers to enjoy their food. The Thai curry chicken filling was tasty and the BBQ pork was ok as I've had tastier ones. At $1.79 each and the size of the baos, I would say they are pricey considering BBQ pork buns that are larger can be had for $.75 each. I could have eaten two for a satisfying snack. Overall, friendly staff and unique choice for the bao filling. Just felt at $1.79 each, it was pricey for these small baos.
(3)Anamaria H.
Ordered the spicy mongolian beef bao. Cheap and yummy sustenance during a long day of shopping. Definitely recommend if you're hungry but aren't ready for a huge meal. They offer quick service and it's in a great location.
(4)Angeli D.
Conveniently located at the entrance of the Water Tower Plaza, this little fast food Chinese spot I'm sure gets a lot of traffic. I came here twice while I was on vacation in Chicago and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's fast and quick and easy to grab and go. The Thai curry chicken Bao and the BBQ pork Bao are the two I tried. They are a bit small for the price, but it is in the city in the Water Tower so I guess the price is to be expected. The steamed buns are just right. Not too thick on the bread and not too moist and light. The curry chicken was my favorite between the two. Also because it's in the front entrance, not too much seating area. You have to go upstairs if you want to have a seat while enjoying your Bao. I like the convenience of the location and the fast food style it provides, but I do wish it had better options for seating. I thought it was a bit over priced but to me it's still worth the try.
(3)Angie O.
I am in love with this "fast food" chain. It is so delicious and the baos are relatively low cal (the nutrition facts are listed - love that too!). I highly recommend the thai curry chicken bao and mongolian beef (it is kind of spicy). All of the dessert baos will rock your socks off. The newest addition is the banana bao, which is in a chocolate dough. Amazing! I absolutely have to visit Wow Bao whenever I am in Chicago. I dream about them. I crave them. I want one now!!!! The day that they open a Wow Bao in Milwaukee will be a glorious day indeed!
(5)Randall L.
Great place to go to for a quick snack or food on the go. Also great for people who love spicey foods and are coming up with a cold. All their fillings for their Baos and dumplings are all ginger based, so they're spicey. They also serve bowls and soups which I never got around to. The place is the first thing you see in the water tower lobby coming in from Michigan. It doesn't look like they have settings Cuz it's in the main lobby, but they have seatings reserved on second floor up the escalator. Went with the Spicey Mongolian beef and Kung Pao Chicken Baos with Thai Broth. All three are somewhat spicey, but if u can take medium at Buffalo Wild Wings you can scarf these Baos down easily. Overall great snack
(4)Selena L.
My favorite is the thai curry chicken bowl and/or bao. Tried the hot ginger tea for the first time and it was as refreshing and delish as could be. The mongolian beef is great also! Like them on FB and get occasional promos for free bao Wednesdays.
(4)Ali D.
Solid consistent food! This is my family's Go To take away joint when in a pinch. Delish consistent food ... All the time. Check it out!
(4)Dan S.
I know. It's just like, wow! Bao! Sure, it's not super authentic, but it's good stuff. The general tso's bun was addictive. I was disappointed in myself for only ordering two. But the rice bowl was good too. Overall, a nice change of pace from the typical fast food.
(4)Christina G.
Service is very quick. Definitely one of my favorites for a fast lunch. I loved the teriyaki chicken bao.
(4)Deacon M.
Whenever I'm over here, I have to get my bao fix. They sell them frozen at jewel, but it's just not the same. I love the ginger ale, the pomegranate ginger ale, 8 veg salad, edamame bao, and the broth...I wish I knew how they made that broth. Check it out, they have raised the prices over the years of me coming here, but now you can get on their coupon text list. Yeah, I can be a sucker for a deal, sometimes referred to as "cheap ass", idc! They need to open one in hipster sq or wicker park...
(4)Shannon K.
I noticed that all of the Wow Bao's rank around 3.5 stars and that seems spot on. If Yelp allowed half stars (and they should) I would also give this location a 3.5. A strong 3.5. I rather enjoyed the food. It's fun. It's fast. It's affordable. It's mobile (well at least the bao buns). You can either order at the kiosk and get a number or order from the cashier and get a number. The big stackable steamers where the bao buns live kind of remind me of the whack-a-mole game, but instead of whacking moles the servers are grabbing buns. They have 6 packs of bao buns; you pick the flavors, for under $10. Combo of salad or different soup and 2 bao buns for $8. Absolutely delicious cold spicy noodles, sauce served on the side. Fresh ginger, ginger ale's. Well it clearly has fresh ginger in it, but it concerns me a little that it's coming from a tap, makes me feel like it might be mixed with something on the less than healthy side. Regardless it was refreshing and went well with the spiciness of the food. I ordered a chicken flavored bun and a bbq pork bun. To be honest, I couldn't tell you which was which, but I can tell you they both tasted good. I am definitely going to check out the other locations and eat my way through those hot Asian buns (that's their tagline, not mine).
(4)Sarah G.
I first had Wow Bao at Riot Fest where I got two boas for $6 which for festival food pricing isn't too bad. And they were actually pretty good for being steamed at a festival! We got the spicy mongolian and the bbq pork there and we were pretty pumped! Then the other day we were walking around and needed a snack, and behold there was a Wow Bao right in front of our faces! So we go into the tower to find there are no tables by this venue (I guess there are a few up the escalators maybe??) but here I could get 6 baos for less than $10!!! Gotta love festival up pricing :-) But we were pumped to try all of the flavors! Here is the run down of a few worth mentioning: Whole Wheat Edamame: not the best...thought it would be tasty and a healthy bao, but it just had no flavor... Kung Pao: so so good and spicy! packed with flavor! Thai Curry: just so so...not so so good...but so so Mongolian: still awesome and tasty BBQ Pork: how could it not be good? Coconut Custard: kind of weird... So all in all, I think this place is hit or miss, but it is made fresh, and it is cheap, and a fast snack to grab.
(3)Brooke O.
I have worked across the street for a long time but only recently tried Wow Bao. The bbq pork bun blew my mind! I did not know what to expect when a friend described the dumpling with pulled pork in it. I'm a sucker for anything pulled pork related so I got one just as a snack. It was fast service, the food was served quickly, and in the end it was delicious. The only thing is I wish they had more seating. There is some if you go up the escalator to the second floor.
(4)Don L.
We were at Water Tower, and we've seen all the positive reviews here on Yelp, so we decided to give it a try. We tried the bbq pork, teriyaki chicken & the spicy kung pao chicken. The baos are small and snack size, which is probably convenient when walking around a mall. But I'm used to the bigger boas you get at dim sum. At least the boas here were priced accordingly. Taste wise, they were good. Nothing special, but not bad. The teriyaki chicken was good, not too sweet. The spicy kung pao chicken wasn't really all that spicy, and I don't really go for spicy foods, so it's not like I have a low tolerance for spicy foods. Of the 3 I like the bbq pork the best. I would eat there again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do it.
(3)Dalton D.
Very tasty bao and chicken herbs broth. However just acknowledge that the combo of 2 baos and the herbs broth is more expensive than separate buy. Is that a cheat?
(3)Allen H.
It's Americanized Chinese bao. Subpar in every way. If you really want to try good Chinese bao, go to Chinatown. The concept is interesting though.
(2)Sara T.
2-3 buns and you'll be full. It's an Americanized take on the traditional Chinese bao zi (steamed bun). I prefer traditional fillings. At Wow Bao the spicy Mongolian beef is the closest to traditional tasting and probably my favorite of all the options. The ginger drinks are very strongly gingered. Not for me, but my sister seemed to love it.
(3)Dan B.
Ah, it was ok. stopped by for some pork buns and chicken buns before heading to the 360 observatory. I like the chicken teriyaki the best.
(3)Nicole H.
I just wanted to grab something small and fast to stave of the hunger for another hour or so. I decided on a chicken curry bao, mongolian beef bao and an original ginger ale(I will never pass up house-made ginger ale).It was decent. The ale alone will get me to return to try other items.
(3)Susana F.
Great for a quick bite while strolling through Chicago. The pork buns were pretty good. My favorite was the chicken teriyaki.
(4)Haley B.
I love bao! Wow Bao is wonderful. Conveniently located at the entrance of Water Tower Place, it was really easy to find and get to from our hotel. There was a line to order, but WB also has kiosks where you can order electronically and there was no line there. They were easy and fun to use. I ordered two bao, the curried chicken and General Tsao's. Both were excellent, though curried chicken was definitely my favorite. My sister ordered a curry bowl and it was really good too! We shared an order of steamed dumplings that we also enjoyed. I wish we had Wow Bao in Utah! The value and quality were both great!
(4)Hannah H.
About a 2-2.5: After roaming around on Michigan Avenue, we came to check Wow Bao out for a quick snack. There was a huge line, so that was quite exciting! We chose to order their 1/2 dozen, eliminating the 'sweet buns' and going for their savories: teriyaki chicken, spicy kung pao chicken, whole wheat edamame, thai curry chicken, spicy mongolian beef, and bbq pork baos. It seemed that after the first couple of buns, they all manage to taste the same :P I think my favorite out of the whole set was the whole wheat edamame, with whole edamames in a wheat bao - no sauce in this one - pure vegetarian-like. I've also had their 'signature homemade' ginger ale - it was like sparkling water with ginger syrup. +wheat edamame
(3)Srishti K.
This is a comment on the service for this place rather than Wow Bao in general. Being in Water Tower, this location seems to get pretty busy and it's pretty understaffed. I ordered one bao (just one) and the time it took to get it was absurd. After waiting 15 minutes, I finally got frustrated and complained. The guy behind the counter apologized and made sure to make my order next. As I walked out the door to eat my bao, I realized that there was a free bao in there....so I guess it was worth it?
(3)Stacey K.
Simple, cheap and delicious. Order at a kiosk for even speedier service. The bao are delicious and the Thai herb broth is the perfect remedy for the chills. Ginger ale is made on site and tastes unique and spicy - if you're looking for Canada Dry, avoid! Will be back for a quick handheld meal on the go.
(4)Jenny L.
This cute little bao shop has a great assortment of baos. We actually went here 3 days straight to order something. We ordered the mongolian beef, curry chicken, kung pao chicken, bbq pork, and chocolate. The mongolian and kung pao are my favorites, they have great flavor and have a nice kick to it.
(4)Louise G.
Love all wow bao locations, these are incredible and even better when you just want to grab a quick bite to eat and fill up-be warned that these fluffy dough like drops are a lot more filling than you would think, I definitely over ordered my first time not that it was a problem! I have been back many times and always leave satisfied
(5)Livvy O.
I was out Christmas shopping and about to head on the L back home so I decided to grab a pork bao to go. The place is in Water Tower place in the entrance so I thought it would be a quick stop since it's not really a restaurant, but a stand. I had to wait 10 minutes for it! But I have to say this was the best dumpling I've had and I can be really picky with dumplings.
(4)Kallie A.
Absolutely amazing! This is my first time eating a Bao and I wish I lived in Chicago so I can eat more. My mom and I ate here when shopping on Michigan Ave. We got one Kung pou chicken bao each. They were so soft and fuffy. When I took the first bite I was in love ! The Kung pou chicken was delicious. We actually liked it so much we went down and got more. We also got to try the coconut custard bao and it was delicious as well. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone going to Chicago.
(5)Lisa L.
Fast, efficient, many different kinds, always a great place to grab a few on your way out of Water Tower Place. Thai coffee too sweet not that great.
(4)Eric P.
Wow! Delicious bbq pork buns!!! I will go back! It is a bit of a long walk to the far end of Michfan Ave by it is totally worth it. I wish I could go there more often!!!
(5)Paddu P.
NOMS! Had their ground beef and dessert baos. Delicious! Their service is slow. But mine was hot and fresh. Great for when you're shopping and starving. Quick and easy bite to grab!
(4)Jimmy N.
Yummy yummy big city goodness. It's a super quick snack that's easy to consume on the run and while covered in layers of snow. But be aware you can get pretty full off those boas. BBQ boas are the best and the lemonade is delish!
(5)Vee K.
Fresh ginger ginger ale is delicious, not yucky sweet at all. My friend got a Thai curry bun and a chocolate banana bun. Says she feels like she is back in Thailand. Super fast service. Just have to find a place to sit and eat. We went up one floor and sat in a comfy alcove and people watched while we snacked.
(4)Tavi J.
When I'm in the mood for a little something different I come here. This location is fast and it's conviently located on the lower level of the water tower. I usually pick up a little something before I shop. Savory wise I normally get the Teriaki Chicken Bao. It's a little on the sweet side and has a good flavor to it. I also enjoy the chocolate bao. Warning though it's messy. It never fails I will take the smallest bite and chocolate just starts oozing out every where. Be prepared with a napkin. They also have combo meals. I've gotten one once and it came with their thai herb broth. Great for a cold winter day and reasonably priced.
(3)Linda L.
Don't come here if you want authenticity. Then again, that's not what they're aiming for. I had their chicken dumplings, which were very flat with a sad lack of filling compared to what I consider dumplings. Their buns are all pretty sweet-tasting. All in all, not bad not if you just want buns, but a bad choice if you want authentic buns. Overpriced for what you get.
(2)Natasha A.
This place was located in one of the shopping malls close to my hotel, and it offered a quick snack for me while I waited for my room to be ready. The food was ok, considering it is a fast food joint, but I will not be coming back for seconds. Food: The menu of this joint is mainly filled with different types of steamed Chinese buns, with a small assortment of noodles and soups. I got a curry chicken bun, BBQ pork bun and a ginger ale. Both steamed buns were ok but not very authentic as far as the flavors. The texture of the bun itself was nice, soft and warm, but the sizes are so small! They aren't even the size of my palm, and I have small hands. Maybe I am spoiled because I live in an area (San Francisco bay area) where you can get softball sized authentic steamed buns for about the same price. I was expecting 2 buns to be enough for lunch, but it ended up being a just a snack. The ginger ale was way too gingery. It was so gingery-spicy that I would consider it undrinkable. After a few sips I had to throw it away. Price: The price of their items seems reasonable, but I would say their steamed buns are way over priced for their size. $1.50 for 1 bun seems cheap, but if you need to buy a dozen buns to feel full it's not really a good deal. If you are just looking for a light snack this place is great because you can get a few different items for a very cheap price. Atmosphere: This place is considered a fast food counter inside of a mall, so there really isn't much atmosphere to it. There is no immediate seating by the food stand, but if you take the escalators up a bit you can find some tables and benches to eat at on the higher levels. Staff / Service: The cashier was very friendly and welcomed each guest with a smile. I ordered using the kiosks because I thought that would be fun (and it gave me plenty of time to browse the food options.) The staff who put your food order together seemed very stressed out and didn't smile at all as they yelled out order numbers. I don't expect much from a fast food joint, but at least the guy who was taking orders seemed friendly. This place is great for a quick, cheap snack if you are shopping in the mall, but I would not go out of my way to each here. There was nothing really special about their food, but at least it was different than the typical fast food counters you see in malls.
(2)Vivienne H.
I think this is the most authentic restaurant for people looking for Chinese Bao and salad noodles! Bao with Teriyaki chicken or BBQ pork were our favorite, and I'll have spicy peanut noodles every time! You will find tables upstairs, this bothered us at the first time. Servers are friendly and efficient. There're another 3 WOW BAOs in the downtown, this one is not taking delivery orders, the Wacker Dr one do.
(5)Jessica A.
Thai curry and pork bao WOW. Perfect snack before shopping around the area. The line moves fast and your order is ready in less than 5 minutes. Warm fluffy buns were perfectly delicious.
(5)Jenny H.
Absolutely amazing. Thai Chicken Curry was the BEST. Like coconut? Go for the coconut custard. SO yummy. Pomegranate ginger ale was so delicious. Take me back!!!
(5)Yvonne B.
I've been interested in checking out Wow Bao for ages! It took the Elemental Yelp event at Castle to introduce me. I tried Teriyaki Chicken Bao and Spicy Mongolian Beef Bao. And check me out. I've been craving it ever since. I woke up talking to M about it. I was like "I'm going to eat Bao Wow for lunch today!!!" (yeah, I had it backwards but I was absolutely stoked this rainy day). I looked it up online and scouted out the locations. I was STOKED to see that the Jewel down the street carries them in the frozen section. And then M pointed out that the building next to her work has a Wow Bao location that's open for breakfast! So, I joined M for her commute to work and we stopped in to get some Wow Bao together. She got some oatmeal (she said it hit the spot) and I got a box of six baos: two Coconut Custard Baos and four BBQ Pork Baos. I brought them back to M's place and have been eating them while watching my shows (I think this may be the PERFECT way to spend my day off!). The guy at Wow Bao was super friendly. He seemed genuine and happy. What made him skyrocket awesome to me is that he explained that I could give them five minutes and they could steam any bao I wanted (such as a lunch time bao for breakfast). That's just amazing because I'm not the biggest fan of eggs and I was crazy about the flavors I had at the Yelp event. The actual location of this Wow Bao was pretty tiny. It did have a few places to sit, but it was pretty obvious that it's the type of place where you grab your food and go. That's cool for me!
(5)Sylvia C.
Love the concept...fast food steamed buns filled with meat. You can order them in the kiosks...ready to eat or frozen for take home. Reasonably price for snack food. The fillings are too saucy and americanized for my palette.
(3)Shelly M.
My boyfriend and I tried the BBQ pork, chicken teriyaki, Kung pao chicken, and spicy Mongolian beef. Our favorites were the BBQ pork and chicken teriyaki. The other two were okay. The baos are pretty filling, but overpriced. I would rather go to Chinatown and get more for your money, but not a bad place for baos when you aren't close to Chinatown.
(3)Haley F.
Big fan of this place - if you're looking for a place to get a quick, affordable, and filling bite to eat, this is it. All of their chicken baos are great - I love the thai curry one and the spicy teriyaki. I also have had their soups and thought they were pretty tasty. Great casual place to grab a filling meal - quality ingredients, fast and polite service.
(5)Michelle C.
My boyfriend and I were wandering around Water Tower Place and saw "Wow Bao" in the directory. We immediately needed to find it (he was craving BBQ Pork Buns). Since we had never been to this mall before, we had some difficulty finding it, but BAM, there it was by one of the entrances. It's a fast food type of place with cute decor. They have many flavors you can choose from, but since we were going to have dinner in a bit, we snacked on two: the Thai Curry Chicken & BBQ Pork. The chicken was definitely unique but didn't blow my mind. The BBQ Pork was OK - lackluster compared to what I've had in the past. In my opinion, the price was a bit much: almost $2 each for a 2- bite bao. For mall food, that seems pretty steep. Other than that, staff was nice and their seating is inconveniently located on the next level up. If I"m ever back in Chicago I'd definitely try a few of their other flavors!
(3)Brenda T.
Sure these buns are Americanized, but sometimes an authentic dim sum place filled with steamy carts is not readily available. I ordered a refreshing cold peanut noodle salad and two steamed buns - Thai Curry Chicken and the seasonal Pumpkin bao. I liked the salty and sweet combination, and this helped me avoid getting dessert later in the day. The buns are small with limited filling, so the fun was in trying something new if you want to shake up your snack routine while shopping in Water Tower Place.
(3)Grant P.
Wow Bao. You make my heart sing. You make everything...delicious! Ok, so Wow Bao needs a new review like I need a delicious steamed Asian bun. (Read: Not at all). I doubt many folks outside of my Yelp friendship circle will even read this, but I don't curr because I heart them so much and they deserve all five of my stars. My wife and I have been patronizing the WB (that stands for Wow Bao, for those of you who didn't get it) since forever ago when they first arrived in Water Tower Place. Super jazzed were we when they expanded across the rest of the city (and howzabout a little love for the suburbs, eh?). The steamed buns come in a variety of wonderful flavors. Read all about them throughout the rest of the reviews above and below this one. My favorites are the curry chicken and mongolian beef. Wonderful. I usually get full on about 3-4 of them. They're perfectly portable and great for snacking on as you explore WT Place or the surrounding wonderfulness of The Magnificent Mile. I am in love with their homemade ginger ale. Which is made from real ginger, but thankfully not real gingers. I was scared there for a minute, afraid they might try to cultivate me for their soda. It's not safe to be a ginger in this world, lemmetellya. In other news, I recently discovered that they have these wonderful bowls that are topped with the same fillings they use inside their buns. I had a thai curry chicken bowl. You can pick from rice or quinoa and healthy lunches make me happy, especially since I'm doing this calorie counting thing. The whole bowl was well within my limit. And I was pleased to find that most of the bao themselves hover under 200 calories a piece. This place is awesome. Wow Bao...I think I love you.
(5)Corelle P.
Wow to the Bao! My first time going to Wow Bao was in the year 2004. I was hanging out with friends at Water Tower, trying to decide what to have for lunch= McDonalds or Wow Bao. Looking back I'm glad we went to Wow Bao. Ever since then I tried almost every freshly steamed, savory asian bun they offered!
(5)Burt M.
Love the service. Always friendly. I am willing to swim through the sea of blind, idiot tourists that gather out front just to get a hold of one of their soft, warm carb and meat filled balls. Seriously what more can you ask for? Two of the greatest things God created on the 3rd and 7th day (bread and meat respectively) perfectly blended together, under the same principles rivaling that of our solar-system, achieving palate-blowing homeostasis. Meals on plates and sandwiches are sloppy and is a two-handed chore. This architectural ingenuity conveniently packs the meat (seasoned with Asian awesomeness) in a one-handed, two fingered cuisine that would make Frank Lloyd Wright and Leonardo da Vinci roll over in their graves. The history behind this Pritzker Award deserving concept roots back to the Chinese being brought over to America for plantation labor. They needed a quick, on-the-go meal. Though plantations today are arguably gone, our fast-paced lives still demand the on-the-go meal and should be a staple to any business man or soccer mom today.
(5)Bill F.
Overpriced at $6.49 for Bao combo. This place has zombies working behind the counter. The Baos are basically bad dim sum!
(1)Seb H.
Teriyaki chicken bowl should be named a rice bowl. Big bowl of rice covered with a very thin layer of sauce with some small chicken pieces in it. Wasn't even enough sauce for the whole bowl of rice. Not worth it.
(2)Rinny K.
This place is great for a quick snack. The Bow has alot of flavor. Must try this on a cold day. They have soup and homemade Ginger ale. The coffee says Thai but its not. It's regular I should have ordered the Ginger ale. The Bow taste nice and soft and it's the freshest I have ever tasted. My favorite is the curry and spicy beef. For those who enjoy spice they have packets of chilli sauce.
(3)Kelly P.
My brother and my really good friend from Orlando Jennifer love this place. Their kung pao chicken was our favorite. I even ordered a bunch for my family. Bao wow was able to delivered it to Minnesota.
(5)Maile N.
4 stars for the food and 3 stars for the service. I bought a pork bun and a bunch of dumplings to eat before my flight home the next day, and I loved them. My hotel room had a microwave so this was perfect. Flavors were great and I was good and full! The service was eh, not too friendly and was not too patient as I was trying to decide what I wanted. Whatever, I took my food and ran! Great location at the front of the Watertower shops!
(4)Kevin W.
Some great quick eats while shopping in water tower place! The chicken noodle soup was really good as were the steamed buns!
(5)Kenneth P.
It's really sad because this place is decent but they unfortunately hired a really bad person. I work in the mall, and when I was on my lunch break I got Wow Bao. I was making friends with the cashier. Is was cool, but immediately after the two workers there started laughing at him thinking I was hitting on him. Then they made fun of him acting like he was gay... he obviously wasn't. And I had to tell those guys "nah its not like that at all." (I'm straight) Later I swung by looking for my new friend and the guy who made fun of him told me he was gone. I told him "oh, well my name's Ken, I work in the mall too what's your name?" This guy steps back a step and says "it doesn't matter what my name is." I was confused, maybe I heard wrong so I asked, "I'm sorry, what?" And he LITERALLY said "Im not trying to be your friend." What?!?! Not only are you in a service position but we work in the same community, not only are you ridiculously rude, incredibly insensitive, and shady as hell! I feel really bad for the guy who got called gay for being friendly. I feel bad for the manager who hired a bad employee. And I feel bad for this guy who's got too many friends and is so homophobic he thinks everyone is gay. Anyways. That was incredibly unprofessional. And sad that they have no respect for building a sense of community in the mall.
(1)Elizabeth F.
Rather under impressed by Wow Bao. What gives! I had a late appointment in the professional suites of Water Tower Place, & wanted to grab dinner to take home with me afterwards. I had tried Wow Bao at a big holiday Yelp event in 2011. The buns tasted great! Today, I bought an order of vegetable buns & a veggie/rice bowl. The rice bowl was just that - RICE. There was a smattering of veggies on top, no sauce. I tried mixing the veggies in, & I still ended up with forkfuls of plain, white rice. :( The bao were tasty as I remembered... unfortunately, I learned they're just frozen bao, steamed before you buy them. Had I known all of this, I may have spent my $$ elsewhere.
(3)Gspot H.
Bizarre to find this spot in #Chicago's #WaterTowerPlace right at the formal entryway. Steamed, healthy options. The Lemonade is pretty good too. There are chairs n small tables on the floor above to grind at baby girl...
(5)Tommy V.
I had the thai curry. Wasn't that good to me, but then again I have much exposure to asian food.
(3)Lori H.
Me and my husband love coming for quick snack at this place! The thai curry and kung pao is delicious. I had been here a few times and noticed the prices had gone up, but being downtown its worth it! Highly recommended for quick snack.
(4)Kevin C.
Had quite a few of the baos. The taste was okay and there were some interesting fusion flavors. These were interesting to try, but not really incredibly memorable. One this is the price was too high. Having eaten a lot of Chinese food, I can tell you that you can find a bigger bang for your buck in China Town. Despite that, there were some unique flavors here.
(3)Laura J.
I love the bao here for a filling yet not overbearing meal mid-shopping or exploring day. I don't think it's the most authentic Chinese food but it gets the job done. The only bao I didn't like was the edamame. It had little taste.
(3)Nathasja T.
Mmmmh bapao. Bapao are steamed sticky buns, filled with a minced filling of meat and/or veggies and they are addictive. Bapao is one of the many crazy-popular multicultural (snack) food staples in Amsterdam & the Netherlands. Growing up I've thrown many of these in the microwave for a quick lunch or midnight snack. Dramatically put, this is (one of) the food(s) of my childhood and I was excited finding it here, in my new country! Wow bao is conveniently located at the bottom of the escalators at one of the Water Tower Place mall entrances. Tucked away in a small corner there is often a snaking line of people waiting to place their order on the touch screen gizmo. Wow bao was doing this type of ordering before an iPad even existed.. swanky huh. The fresh homemade ginger ale and hibiscus iced tea are refreshing and good. The drinks are not overly sweet, which is a plus for this strict waterdrinker. The bao are small-ish, two make a perfect snack and three and up will really fill you quick. They are little pockets of joy, which is mighty handy when walking around the mall. No fussing with forks, or the fear of dropping something from in between your sandwich. As a meateater I used to enjoy the mongolian beef, chicken teriyaki (albeit sweet) and bbq pork varieties. There are however several veggie options available. Wow bao has more locations throughout town, around the Loop area there are a couple. I believe they are/were a part of the late Ben Pao restaurant which, though not stellar, served up some pretty aight food.
(4)Yi W.
This place is not wow at all.. You just pay for the location, not the food. As a person who eat a lot of Asian food, this place is def below average. We tried 5 flavors: BBQ pork, teriyaki chicken, beef, curry chicken, I forgot the last one. The skin is soft, but the meat tastes weird to me: they put whatever weird herbs in it.. The lemonade and ginger ale is ok. It is the first time i got a ginger ale with this strong ginger flavor in it.
(2)Eri G.
I freakin love this place! I've been to this particular one twice and it is just so urban! I love the ordering system you do not have to wait in line if you dont want. You can order at the kiosk as well. I love the Bao (buns).. These things are so good! Im happy I can order them online now and have them shipped to Cali. I'll be placing my order soon. I cant say that I care for any other food because I am very picky. You have to experience this place if you're in the area shopping!
(5)Ballerinacake S.
Conveniently located right inside the main doors to Water Tower Place, it is this gem! Had the teriyaki chicken bao and the whole wheat edamame bao. Both were delicious and flavorful. I can't believe the only charge $1.79 each. It's the cheapest food you can get that is yummy and quality. The outside just melts in your mouth. The seating area is upstairs. If you are near Water Tower Place, this is a must!
(5)Patty T.
Wow indeed! I wanna call myself a bao expert growing up eating a lot of bao-s and I think Wow bao is one serious bao shop! I am impressed. Freshly steamed buns in very creative fillings. I am vegetarian and miss having yummy veggie baos. I love the edamame wholewheat, the coconut custard bun and the chocolate banana bun. nom nom nom. Oh, wash it down with the homemade lemonade or ginger ale. Real good stuff. The only complaint I have is the dough is slightly too thick for my liking. Would have loved a little more stuffing and a little less dough but it's good regardless!
(4)Francisca W.
I didn't review this place, like, right away? Wow... but JUST wow... wow without the bao. Guess what, my friend who planned the itinerary for this trip (happened last Nov, btw) had this place on our list. The day we passed by one (closer to the Marilyn Monroe statue), it was closed -- figured that place was geared toward office clientele, so understandably so it was closed on the weekends. We were looking forward to visit the one on THIS location the day after. It was Sunday, about dinner time, and this place is right under the Lego store, so you bet it's open. So we entered into the building, and being AT LEAST 15 FEET away from it, behind the crowd that was in line for some buns, we started to take some pictures of their store front. No flash, mind you. And then we were about to order some buns to try ourselves. Suddenly, a very harsh voice yelled out to us: "NO PICTURES!!! NO PICTURES!!!" An Asian (presumably Chinese) man looked at us and screamed angrily from behind the counter, while busily prepping his orders or rolling dough or something. Interestingly, last time I was "barred" from taking pictures by the store staff while on MALL GROUND was in Shanghai. Are Mainland Chinese THAT protective of their store that they think they own the air surrounding it as well? And was that man thinking we probably wouldn't be patronizing given that we were also Chinese, so he might as well shoo us away so we're not in his way? Sadly, I was going to patronize, but I won't now. Coz your discrimination against your own race is more unappetizing than any bao that I might or might not have even seen you make. Too bad, coz I was about to contribute to my people and patronize their business, and I was actually excited to try their bao. But bc I took one picture too many to their liking, I was treated like a plague. Who in the right business mind doesn't like free advertising these days? I would tell you all: don't even bother "checking-in" to this place, coz they probably wouldn't appreciate that very much, either. If you're in China, they might have already shot you by now. Funny thing is, I was practically standing on the ground of the BUILDING, so I was not even in their "domain" of control. They had no "store" to enter into; I was ON PUBLIC GROUNDS. So unless this dude was a uniformed guard or something, I don't think he had the right to command us. And it's not likeI was being stupid or using flash, or even video-taping his "business secret", you know. Power trip much? Bottom line, if you REEEEALLY have a problem about people taking pictures of your work, I say put a stupid sign up (and I will respect that), or do it in the basement. On second thought, why not close your store altogether coz we can't even take a picture of the STORE -- not that we were zooming into his hands trying to get between him and his dough, you know! The whole idea of him hating on us taking pictures and admiring their work, is plain ridiculous and uninviting. So yeah, at the end of the day, wow is right. Just no bao.
(1)Paul E.
Cheap, quick food you can get on the go, that is tasty the same time. Perfect for breakfast and lunch. I can't say I've ever had a breakfast (egg) bao before. May not be the best bao you'll ever have, or be a place you have to try, but sometimes you need places like Wow Bao to supply you with something quick and cheap. I myself grabbed two little baos for breakfast before going to the Museum of Science and Industry while on a trip to Chicago. For a traveler on the go who is short on time, this place is a good option.
(4)Ritika K.
I am a big fan of wow bao and my favorite is spicy mongolian beef. Their soups and all other bao flavors are good too. I don't think twice before stopping here for a quick bite.
(4)Jamal S.
This didn't live up to the hype ! It was just regular . I ordered the chicken curry rice bowl and it was so blah . Not enough sauce and no real flavor and hardly any chicken . Guess I was expecting too much and was just really disappointed. The portions were small too . I'd say skip this place and go somewhere else .
(2)Aaron Jae M.
I have tried a bunch of their different bao and their teriyaki rice bowl. They were both tasty and they are fast with the food without losing quality. It was a pretty good treat but I thought it was a little pricey. Not the type of place I would go that often even though I wish I could.
(4)Sarah F.
Don't want none unless you got buns, hon. As far as counter-order kiosks inside a mall serving Americanized Asian food with slightly offensive slogans go, this place is solid! Disclaimer: I haven't had bao very many times and I haven't had it in a long time so I am not the best judge in terms of comparisons to some constructed or agreed-upon authenticity standard of bao. (I don't play authenticity, but for those that would hold a mall kiosk to such scrutiny I figured I would let ya know up front.) I had the BBQ pork, curry chicken, and the whole wheat veg. The curry was the winner! The buns were made tastier with a little soy sauce dripped onto them. The filling-to-bun ratio is pretty good but leans slightly to the Bun-heavy end of the spectrum. The bottom line is that this place is quick and tasty. It gives you what you need to reenergize and shop a little longer. You'll be feeling satisfied until the time of your dinner reservation at some expensive place connected to a hotel. Mercat comes to mind if you need an idea :)
(3)Jason W.
Pretty good fast food concept since you can just scoop up some Bao's and head straight into the mall. Everything is pre-made in batches so that probably explains why my food wasn't particularly fresh. They have your traditional BBQ pork but they also have other flavors like Kung Pao. The Kung Pao had a soft enough bread portion but the texture was off, didn't have that springy feel too it. The filling was decent, but overall I would say it was what you would expect from an Americanized bao. The good thing about this place is that their food is fairly priced, I think I spent just a little over a dollar for a bao.
(3)Kelsey H.
Great mid-Christmas shopping snack!! Steamed hot white Chinese mini-buns with your choice of filling... there's nothing better to bite into (and to warm your hands with) on those windy Chicago wintery days! I had the thai chicken curry bao which was very tasty, full of flavor, and (although my sister disagrees) I thought had a great bread-to-filling ratio! My sisters are traditional and love the BBQ pork bao (which is the char siu bao). You order and pay on their self-service touch screen which makes the process speedy and convenient. SUPER CHEAP!!! $1.69 +tax for 1 mini-bao, and you can also order a pack of 6 if you want to share with some lucky friends or family of yours!! Lastly, they have seating upstairs (up 2 flights of escalators) if you want to enjoy your wow bao while sitting.
(4)N T.
In Chicago for a week and came here three times. Every time we would get the teriyaki chicken Rice and Bao. It hits the spot. It's not cheap, but so are all the restaurants in the neighborhood. We will sure to visit again next time we are in town.
(4)Mad I.
It is what it says, so if you like the kind of strange consistency bread, its an okay little steamy snack. $1.67 for one
(4)Jane W.
3.5 stars. Almost $2 for a tiny bao bun? Would rather spend that money on a more authentic, better tasting dimsum place where prices are way better. On the bright side, the bun itself tasted pretty good. And the service was fast. But probably not coming back.
(3)Cheryl L.
Cheap, fast, and delicious! Bao's are so warm and tender, and you see a little steam come out when you bite into each one. Filling is generous, and they have a bunch of great flavors, both sweet and savory. I like the sweet baos, and Coconut Custard is my favorite. Electronic ordering on the side with your credit card makes the wait super short. Great little snack while shopping on the Mile. Chi-town!!
(4)Bethany A.
I was shopping with two friends when we dropped by here for a quick pick-me-up style dinner. I really like baos - they're kind of my comfort food, but Wow Bao was just kind of average. For the price you pay and what you get, I'm not sure it's worth it. We ordered kung pao chicken baos, Thai curry chicken baos, and BBQ baos. The kung pao chicken baos were honestly kind of weird and not great, but the Thai curry chicken and the BBQ baos were both okay. I don't think I'd come back just because my grandma can make baos from scratch that are way better, but I guess this place hits the spot if you're seriously craving baos and nearby!
(3)Sheila K.
I like coming here for a quick snack. You don't have to wait too long and you get a delicious bao. Per piece it is like $1.70. That is pricey in asian standards, because you can get 2 of those for that price at an asian place. The ratio of filling to bread is good and the size is not to heavy for a quick snack. I like the whole wheat veggie bun. Give it a try.
(4)Hannah P.
Great pit stop while shopping for a quick snack and refreshing drink. The lime ginger soda was my favorite part about this place. The bao (hot buns) had a lot of different filling choices. I tried them all but edamame. The BBQ pork, chicken curry, and surprisingly the coconut custard were my favorite. But the fillings just weren't enough- I wanted them to be overflowing and more saucy. The price was reasonable and make sure to check in on Foursquare for a free bao.
(3)Eva Y.
Fast snack, fast food, fast self-ordering touch screens.... man! It's pretty awesome. The steam buns are soft and yummy. Mongolian beef? spicy and good! The teas are a bit sweeter than they should be... like Southern Sweet Tea! Other than that... the food is pretty legit and service is pretty decent. Whether you want a quick snack or order a dozen frozen ones to go... this is the place! Oh wait, chocolate bun? Dude!!!! Dark creamy chocolate and asian steam bun...... drool...
(4)Calvin Y.
Still love me some Wow Bao! Their soft, pillowy, steamed coconut custard baos are my favorite. Located inside the bottom floor of the Water Tower, this makes for a great pick me up during a long shopping marathon!
(4)Gina S.
I got a combo lunch; my choice of 2 bao and a cup of Thai broth. They had a "special" bao or the day, week or month that was something like Duck Curry, so I got that and a Kung Pao Chicken bao. I haven't met a bao I didn't' like. They are quick, easy and always flavorful. The Kung Pao is probably one of my favorites. It's got a nice spicy kick and there's some nuts or something that gives the filling some texture and a little bit of crunch. The Thai broth was awesome, even tho it was blazing hot out, I was still loving it. It was like a cross between chicken broth and tea, it had a savory ginger and lemongrass flavor. I just know I'll be craving Thai broth during the winter.
(4)Katie R.
Hot & Steamy Fresh & Tasty Quick & Cheap It may sound like I am describing a book featuring Christian Grey, but I assure you, I'm not! Who would have thought putting delicious Asian meat into a puff of dough would be delicious? Well, believe me friends, this is the real deal! In a random stop along Michigan Ave, I was told I HAD to try this, and it did not disappoint! Great snack for a girl on the go :)
(4)Lillie Z.
Delicious bao and friendly service! What more could you ask for? A little pricy for what it is but as a tourist I had to try out the stops and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Ordered the combo of 2 plus an AMAZING herb broth soup- very filling for only a couple hundred calories!
(4)Ramena A.
This place is really good. There's no seating, but the dumplings are small and made for on the go eating. I think they were delicious and extremely affordable. Two Baos are like 3 dollars, and they're a good small meal.
(4)Monica S.
Craving a satisfying Asian snack? Then, head over to Wow Bao to get some Asian buns! My favorite is the whole wheat edamame bao, made with a yeasty, whole wheat dough exterior and a filling of crunchy peanuts, vegetables, and edamame. The mix of textures and warm, savory center are addicting for both vegetarians and meat eaters. So I urge you to swing on by, and pick up some buns!
(4)Michael A.
There is absolutely nothing about this place that gets me excited. I ordered every one. The Bao has been severely bastardized by America and this place is a huge contributor. Wow Bao, I'm giving you 2 stars instead of one because A) you are extremely accessible B) you are a decently affordable snack that doesn't completely suck.
(2)Britt C.
The perfect little snack! Bao! Bao chicka wow wow! Ok, I'm getting carried away. Thai curry chicken is my personal favorite, but I have tried a few different flavors. They also have hibiscus iced tea which is pretty good. I love being able to try several different things and call it a meal, this is a great place to do just that!
(4)Times T.
The food is ridiculous!!! Very very very bad taste. Totally different with real Asian foods! The price is unreasonable! One little Bao costs 2 dollars! The Bowl is as tiny as you can imagine! The rice is raw! I had a very tough experience with it! 22 dollars for my lunch, I ate nothing but trash!
(1)Claire J.
Wow Bao serves your basic Asian steamed bun, but Gold Coast style. Meaning that they're very expensive if you compare them to the ones you can get in Chinatown for half the price. But for a quick bite to eat on North Michigan Ave, it's actually quite cheap. It is fast food though. The buns are all freshly steamed on site (but they come frozen to the place). I usually get the curry chicken and the BBQ chicken. I tried the edamame one, and while not gross, it wasn't exactly tasty either. I also usually get the thai noodle salad (there's a combo that comes with 2 bao and the salad for ~$7). This combo actually makes for a very satisfying lunch.
(4)William C.
I heard about this place from my cousin and I happened to be in Chicago for a day. My hotel was only a 5 minute bus ride away; so, I had no excuse not to stop at this place for a quick bite. This location is located on the street level of Water Tower Place. I stopped here on a Sunday and didn't realize that they didn't open until 11AM. No worries, I walked around the mall for a bit (burning off additional calories to consume MORE bao). I showed up a little after 11AM and there was a short line of people already! There are two ways to order, either person-to-person or using a touch screen kiosk. I opted for the touch screen, being the techie geek that I am. The system was very easy to use and extremely intuitive. The pricing is straight forward with clear pictures and description. The checkout process is super fast (credit cards only). I went for the 6 pack of bao and a hibiscus tea (cold). The got 2 bbq pork, teriyaki chicken, thai curry chicken, spicy mongolian beef and a coconut custard. The bao themselves are a good size, about the size of a small apple. The flavor is amazing, I was pleasantly surprised to be honest. The bbq pork is just like eating one from a Chinese dim sum place. Full of flavor and the distinct Chinese bbq pork flavor and smell. The other one that I loved was the coconut custard. Not too strong in the coconut flavor and not too sweet; simply a great blend of two simple ingredients. I was a little surprised with the price. I paid $12 for 6 bao and an iced tea; which I felt was a little steep considering what you get (Chipotle burrito with soda is still under $10). Even with a higher price, they delivery on a great product with quick service in good locations. I'll definitely hit this place again the next time I'm in Chicago!
(4)Ha C.
These were sooo yummy we brought some back home to TX!!! spicy Mongolian beef-good thai curry-good kung pao-good bbq-ok kinda sweet (different taste from the dim sum joints) didn't get a chance to try the noodles
(5)Richard S.
My son and I had a late lunch/early dinner while in town for a convention. Ordering through kiosk is straightforward and menus are clear. Service was decent - buns arrived after 5 minutes - together with Ginger sodas we ordered. Food was warm, not hot, and "ok". No scintillating tastes here! Ginger soda was excellent, tasted like ginger beer. We also had some chicken pot stickers - bland and uninteresting. Decor was decent, except for the garbage station that was out of commission... huh? I would think there are better options in Chicago.
(3)Clara C.
Cheap, delicious, quick. What more could you ask for? Great location in the water tower for a pick-me-up snack. Only complaint would be that there should be a little more meat in the buns, but for 1.20 ish per bun, I guess I can't complain much. My friend ordered two of each bun. The standouts were the kungpao, the thai curry chicken, and the mongolian beef.
(4)M C.
What I like most was the soft, moist, warm dough. This location doesn't open until the mall opens at 10 or 11 so that rules it out for breakfast. The baos aren't huge but for a little snack one is enough. For a meal you will need at least two. They also have dessert baos. I tried the BBQ pork and coconut custard. The filling was good, nothing that really wowed me though. However makes a good snack if you need something to eat on the go.
(4)Christie M.
Finally found this place. I remember searching for it years ago when they were moving locations and failing. Very limited choices. We tried several things from soups to buns to rice bowls. Perfect portion size for me. Not bad for a fast food Asian lunch.
(3)Jim K.
This a great pickup dinner option for me on nights when I don't feel like cooking, but want to stay in. The people are nice. Love the ordering options: either wait in line in the traditional sense (usually with the tourists), or use a kiosk to order, and avoid the line (like a champ!). Food has always been solid. Quite inexpensive (six buns for under 9 bucks). The menu is simple, but the occasional curveball (special Bao) are usually welcome. Would I consider these traditional? Not really. But Delicious, filling, and could be worse health wise. Nice in a pinch. Haven't gone wrong with a choice here yet.
(4)Valerie H.
Online ordering is simple and easy. Pick up during lunch sounded pain free (my co-worker picked up at brought food back to office). I ordered 3 different Bao. Thai Chicken was lacking creaminess and had too much limey tang. The Spicy Mongolian Beef was only slightly spicy and completely lacking in the smokey green onion flavor that I think is essential in Mongolian beef. So for me, the winning Bao was... Coconut Custard! Prices are high for what you get. I'm not in any rush to order from here again.
(2)Dwayne O.
Easy to find around Chicago and a nice change to snacking than hamburgers or junk food with a good variety of fillings. The BBQ, Curry and Teriyaki were one of the better tasting Bao's. The only negative thing is they look like they are not hand made and sort of like a manufactured frozen type. Great concept and great name and logo.
(4)Ashland T.
I love Wow Bao, quick, good, and lots of choices. I really like the Chicken Curry and the Teriyaki, and the chocolate bao is awesome!
(4)Peter L.
What a great little snack! Just the perfect size with some interesting choices. Tried the bbq pork and was not disappointed, especially for less than $2. This location does not have a seating area, so just grab one to go before or after you shop.
(4)Basil D.
Why isn't this concept bigger?????? First, I believe that Wow Bao is part of the "Let Us Entertain You" conglomerate of restaurants, a Chicago based company. That's a good thing, They run great restaurants. If you've never had these Asian buns, you are in for a treat. They are soft, warm, steamy, tasty! When you sink your teeth into them, it's like pressing into a dense cloud of something heavier than cotton candy, like stacks of warm "Wonder Bread"(When I was a Benedictine monk, we had an old monk from England, Dom Austin, who, upon his first taste of American Wonder Bread exclaimed, "it's a wonder they can call it bread!"). Aaaaaaaanyway...... When you get to the center of the bun, you have very tasty, spicy filling. Now, it is HEAVILY seasoned, no matter which "bao" you choose. But I do love the chicken curry the most. SOOO GOOD. Do yourself a favor, when you're in the Loop, order a couple of these. It's the perfect snack. I will say it's a little heavy on the bread and light on the protein or filling for a full meal, even if you buy 3,4, or 5. They're unique, you won't find them in a lot of places. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE ELECTRONIC ORDERING MACHINE!!! It's actually very efficient, and I always get my order ahead of anyone who's second in the line when personally ordering.
(3)Ramya P.
Perfect snack while shopping in Michigan ave I always make it a point to make a quick stop here to grab a bao (a steamed bun that's stuffed with different fillings) when I'm shopping around in Michigan ave. The only savory vegetarian bao is the whole wheat edamame and it is the healthiest snack in an area with pizza and fries as main food options. I'm a fan of their ginger ales as well.
(4)Christina F.
What can I say? Everything is frozen there and they heat them up. The soups are pretty much the same except for the broth that comes out of a spout in the wall. The terriyaki bun I had was just OK, I don't think I'll be back. Wow Bao wasn't a 'wow' it was more like a '....meh.''
(3)Yee Gan O.
Argh! Someone has 'stolen' my get rich quick plan! I had always thought that bao were the perfect street food to pick up and take away to be eaten easily in hand. I had visions of a franchise selling innovative baos as a snack or more substantive lunch Well, Wow Bao have beaten me to it and they've made a good fist of it. They have some traditional bao with char siew (barbecue pork) but also offer new flavours like spicy mongolian beef and even sweet bao liek coconut custard. I had a Thai chicken curry bao, which was tasty. The dough was bread-like but slightly chewy, exactly what you'd expect in a bao. The filling was distinctive and the proportion of filling to dough was right. You can also get salads and bowls with rice or noodles but I suspect these are pre-packaged and not cooked fresh. I also enjoyed some of that fro yo - they only offer the original tart flavour but the pomegranate sauce with it added a needed sweet edge. Good luck to them - at least they've turned my dream into a classy business.
(4)Brandy C.
I am surprised!!!!!! I got coconut custard and my friend got spicy kong bao chicken. They are amazingly delicious, especially in the winder in Chicago! Little bao can warm your heart!
(4)Nicole T.
I love this place! I got the bbq pork bao and the spicy kung pao chicken bao, made it a combo and added the spicy peanut noodle salad and it was SO GOOD. I am Chinese and have had legit asian buns but I actually really loved the flavors of the buns here. The spicy peanut noodle salad was also delish, it came with cucumbers and cilantro, and the dressing was very spicy and had a great zing to it. The buns were amazing and soft, and they gave a good amount of meat inside. The only thing was the price per bun ($1.79 or so) was quite expensive, considering in NYC china town one bun is like 80 cents.
(4)Christina F.
I've always passed Wow Bao and thought of what a horribly weird concept it was. I mean Asian meats and veggies in a bun? Just to warn you, I'm extremely dodgy when it comes to anything Asian. With that being said in the 2 years I've lived in the city, I never had any desire to go here. However, when I heard a couple students in one of my classes talking about it and how good they were I started getting curiosity about them. I was waiting for my express bus outside of the water tower and looked at my CTA app and it wasn't coming until 15 minutes. I knew if I went in the water tower and walked around I would come out with a few bags of needless shopping. That's when I decided I would go check out Wow Bao (located in the lobby entrance, no threat to my wallet). I decided to order the Kung Pao beef Bao and a chicken teriyaki Bao. The total was a little over $3, I'll take it. The bus finally came and I made it home to try my Bao. The first one I tried was the beef. It was kind of weird at first (because of the blandness of the bun), but then I actually started to like it. I took a bit into the chicken teriyaki and enjoyed it as well. It did have a little too much cilantro for my liking though. Bao is definitely something I will be craving in the near future and for about $3 for something that filled me up, I can't beat it.
(4)Ashley K.
Awesome pho and Thai broth! Cheap, fast and fresh! A great find and I plan to go often.
(5)Jon K.
Made for a very quick and cheap snack. Ordered 3 bao: beef, teriyaki, and kung pao. The beef and kung pao were great, whereas the teriyaki was just too sweet for my taste. It doesn't really make for a full meal, but if you're in the area shopping and you could use a snack then this is the place to go.
(4)Chock L.
This store makes me feel like I'm in my hometown. The teriyaki bao is so delicious. It's good place to get snack
(4)Lucky C.
i LOVE wowbao!! custard bun, thai chix bun, thai chix rice bowl, pomegranate ginger ale!!! All a MUST!!!
(5)Nikki S.
I got the teriyaki chicken bowl & thought the food was very very tasty--and somewhat low cal for a lunch option. The staff was not the friendliest or maybe I was just a bit confused with how to order and what came with what, but very good and reasonable prices for down town
(4)Paige W.
Love the quick dim sum
(4)Ehow C.
Oh Wow Bao, I wish I could frequent your establishment more often. The dough is spot-on, and the filling is hot and delicious. And considering the cost, it can make for a great lunch or even dinner. I'm just sad I don't like your ginger ale as much as I want to. I just love "regular" ginger ale too much.
(4)Michael L.
Delicious dim sum (baos) and the homemade ginger ale is an addiction.
(5)Mike A.
Love the buns, but be careful the chocolate ones tend to squirt out on first bite (That just sounds so wrong, but accurate). The terryaki chicken is a great choice and my kids love the pork. Get the box and mix it up; great food to share with friends and family. I only wish we had one in the burbs...
(4)John M.
Grabbed a Chicken Teriyaki Bowl for a pre-theater snack - perfect size, perfect flavor. Fast service, reasonable price for the meal, and the ginger ale was superb.
(4)Lorrie M.
I'm really embarrassed but this was the perfect snack for me when I was shopping at the tower. It was really yummy and hot and fresh! They had such a huge selection for a fast food place in the mall I was surprised. They are cheap and for something that's probably not authentic, they have great flavor and soft buns which is the perfect consistency. You really can't go wrong here because it's small enough to be a snack but large enough to be a meal if you order multiple and even the bf thought it was pretty good. They do serve other things than Bao's but I only got the Baos.
(4)Samantha E.
Grabbed a quick pork bun on the go and it was a perfect pick me up. Soft bun, delicious filling, and cheap!
(3)Liz O.
If you are visiting the Water Tower Place, you have to stop by at Wow Bao. I very much enjoy their rice and teriyaki chicken... the baos are pretty good too... I also enjoy their beverages, especially the pomegranate. I typically eat here when I shop at the Mag Mile--love it!
(4)Elle N.
This location is more of an express location. The menu here is a condensed version and the work space for them seems very cramped, then you have to carry your food to go eat at some tables upstairs. The flavors are the same but at the other locations it seems a lot fresher, but that's just me. I would recommend thai curry chicken on jasmine rice, or the thai chicken noodle soup. Go to one of the other locations if you can, the atmosphere is better and food seems better too. Plus there are more options!
(3)Christina G.
I think they put crack in this stuff. Every time I go to Water Tower, the absolute first thing I MUST do is have 3 baos, no matter the time of day. I usually get a whole wheat edamame (healthy, slightly bland but actually still tasty), and then I mix and match the other two. Once I actually bought the frozen 6-pack, which turned out well at home and was easy to make (i.e. microwave). Love it.
(4)Alexandra C.
I thought I vvas going to love this place vvhen I first happened upon it. My first thought vvas I vvish vve had a healthy, cool option like this in our malls around NY. VVhat a great idea. The pom ginger drink didn't have a strong ginger flavor (or ginger pieces) like I had hoped. So perhaps order the regular ginger for stronger flavor. Tried the chicken teriyaki - this filling vvas vvay too svveet. Didn't enjoy it. Kung pao - this one vvas a lot better tasting, flavorful and not too spicy. Curry- I didn't care for this one much. Something about the curry, hotness and the bun together --- no. The bun itself is nice and soft, but rather blah in taste. So really a great idea, and a healthier fast food option for a quick and very cheap snack. For myself, the flavor didn't vvovv me (no bun, I mean pun intended ;) to go back.
(3)Steve N.
Wow Bao is the Baomb. Get the spicy mongolian buns. Always good. This is a great spot to snack at in Water Tower Place. The prices are inexpensive and the service is fast and friendly. So much to try, so little time. Try everything here.
(4)Voravut R.
As I was walking the streets of Chicago I bumped into this great little place and fell in move after first bite. They way that one orders really impressed me. I have nothing against face to face interaction but well laid out kiosk do impress me. Their ordering system was fast, friendly and very easy to use. Once I got my little bag of goodness I was very happy. I took one of each bun flavor and a rice bowl plus a glass of hibiscus tea to their seating area upstairs. It was like being in the streets of Bangkok again. I wish they had a franchise in Boston. These little morsels are a perfect snack for any time of the day or night. I especially enjoyed the Mongolian beef and curry chicken. Please spread the hot Asian bun revolution to the the northeast please!!!
(4)Kien M.
This place is overrated. I tried their spicy mongolian beef and coconut custard bun. I love the concept but they do not compare to the original buns found at dim sum restaurants.
(3)Vivian H.
I was intrigued and ordered the new penang duck curry bao... bao was a little soggy but the filling was flavorful with a bit of lemongrass. Definitely good for a little Chinese treat on-the-go.
(3)Jae C.
Expensive and not so tasty. The flavors are obviously Americanized forms of Chinese and Japanese foods (teriyaki chicken, kung pao, etc.) and some are even atrocious (chocolate, peanut butter, etc. if I remember correctly). Priced at around $1.60-$2.00 each, these things will barely satisfy any snack or meal craving you might have. They tasted dry and salty. The bun itself was thick and tiny. You could finish one in two bites. The worst part is how long it takes to get your order. It should be fast given these things are sitting around pre-steamed but for whatever reason the staff were very slow.
(3)Kent C.
This place is a pretty interesting concept. I only got the Bao here and some drinks. I would most likely not order any pot stickers here cause well... They're ridiculously overpriced. First the drinks: Original Ginger Ale - Definitely made for ginger lovers. It's super duper gingery tasting, not like the commercialized ginger ale most people are accustomed to. Hibiscus iced tea - nice and refreshing Bao: Spicy Kung Pao Chicken - Do yourself a favor and don't order this unless you're just curious Mongolian Beef - NOM NOM NOM! I want more. Coconut Custard - Egh well it's coconuty. Pretty standard Chinese Bao. I would prefer to have some crazy flavors you don't traditionally find.
(4)Brian R.
Fast food bao are a staple in Asia. Why they haven't passed up the taco here is kind of beyond me. This is a first good stab and bringing Asian street food to the street level of one of Chicago's busiest malls. It's a hit and a miss. Hits: The bao are excellent. Steamed well, freshly made, a good variety, from their standard roast pork to a chicken curry to the mongolian spicy beef. The dessert bao are great too. They serve up a wicked home-brew ginger-ale as well. Misses: The restaurant is on the ground floor, but you have to go up two escalators to get to a landing where the mall has given them some table space next to Macys. There are only two employees, so trash mounts up in the bins upstairs and it's impossible for them to check it when they're busy. They need a third in staff to attend to stuff like that. The Thai broth was nicely spicy, but it was salty and it was served in a coffee cup which, for presentation, was a whopping big zero. The chicken rice bowl was heavy in sauce and veggies and light on the chicken. It's a five if you stick to the bao, and you don't mind the escalator ride up to a possibly clean table. This restaurant would also be a five with some amendments to the menu and in a different location.
(3)Thomas W.
I usually hate these Asian Fusion type places but I really enjoy the convenience of this place. The baos are outstanding--I prefer the pork baos, but the spicy Mongolian Beef and the Kung Pao chicken are also great. The Kung Pao Chicken bowl's are great on a cold Chicago day. It has a decent kick to it.
(4)Amy B.
The buns here are tasty, filling, and cheap. I particularly like the curry chicken and (to my own surprise) the coconut custard. I love that the small size of the buns lets you customize your order to be snack-, meal-, or binge-sized. Some of the buns can be a bit dry, and I wish they had a more extensive vegetarian selection for when I roll with my herbivore homies.
(3)Ashley B.
A nice little spot for a snack when you're shopping and on the go. The salads are also good, but this isn't the best location to really enjoy one since there's no seating or anything. Their teas are also nice and the ordering process makes everything go super fast. Food is obviously not mind-blowing, but it's meant to be finger food and it accomplishes that goal.
(4)A F.
Their Kung Pao Chicken is spicy and amazing!!
(4)Lyn P.
Wowed by the chocolate and coconut custard baos. Tried the whole wheat edamame, bbq pork and spicy mongolian and all were off for me. Which bummed me out because the outside is soooo good but the fillings were just meh. I did also love the ginger ale. Thumbs up on their touch screen ordering system.
(3)Chole L.
Good environment, great customer service, food (Bao) are just so-so. Any dim-sum place at china town would have a better taste bao than here.
(3)Irah H.
Ok. I guess if you're Asian, you'll feel the filling of the bao tastes funny. BBQ pork supposed to be char siew (red colour) not soy sauce based . I also tried the Kung bao chicken, which I think it's weird. How ever theyve done a great job for the bun as its soft and not dry at all.
(3)L G.
I don't know why I waited so long to try Wow Bao. Maybe because I was scared of the unknown- hot asian buns? Anyway, they offer a bogo of a bun with a foursquare check in. Awesome. They have dessert buns. And next time- I will focus my energies on trying all the buns before I return back to the bowls. I had a chicken curry bowl with quinoa. I love that they offer quinoa. The portion was a little small, and a little salty, but overall pretty good and it's not terrible for you either by weight watcher standards (always good to see!). For buns, I had the edamame- delish. And the chocolate- which was very very chocolatey and had coconut in it. Which, thankfully I like, but I still feel they should say that. Anyway, my friend had the coconut custard one and we split the two dessert buns, both were good. But....not as good as the other buns. I deduct a star because their employees were not very friendly, no 'hello' and not very knowledgeable.
(4)Anwar H.
Super awesome bao's. Get them all. The rice/ qiunoa bowls are also awesome!
(5)David J.
I love this place! It's a quick and casual place to grab a quick bite in Water Tower Place. I recommend the curry bao and teriyaki bao, and my wife loves the ginger soup. Hard to find a better bang-for-the-buck on Michigan Avenue.
(4)Matthew W.
What's not to love? Steamed buns, just like the street food in Singapore/probably anywhere else in asia. They make their own Ginger Ale. The food is always hot, fresh, and delicious. A couple innovative things they do to make the experience amazing: Touch-screen kiosks to order from right next to the counter. This way you don't have to wait in line. BUT!!!!!!! I never use the kiosk because I get the Foursquare checkin speacial. Every time you checkin, you get buy one get one free bao. Can't beat that. I never spend more than $5 and I always leave satisfied. Try the Coconut Custard one if you're into sweet stuff. It's great. WARNING: Take the paper off the bottom of the boa BEFORE you take a bite. I'm an idiot.
(4)Amy L.
Perfect place to brief food moment during the shopping spree :) Their Mongolian beef, curry chicken, and Kong Pao chicken baos are delicious. The noodle salad with peanut sauce is also wonderful. You can eat till you are somewhat full but never to the extent of unable to wear your fav skinny jeans. Although the low cal and the taste are the cons, I won't recommend long-term intake because of the additives seem a little intense. I got soooo thirsty afterwards...
(5)Stephanie L.
I have to admit that I love their little buns...I could eat them until I can no longer say wow bao. Seriously, I had some the other day for the first time and I cant believe I have never had these little pockets of deliciousness. Normally I am not a fan of chain, fast food type places.... Alas, I found one that I have to say....I will be back (in an Arnold Schwarzenegger tone).
(4)Carl G.
The Mag Mile Wow Bao is imprisoned within some mall or another, a sterile space crammed with expensive tourist shops and occupying no more than about 20 or feet of space. The menu is different than the location across the river, and there isn't very many places to sit inside to enjoy your food, but the food is still the food. The bao are great. Ordering and payment is through the kiosks, which greatly speeds up the process. Again, ignore what everyone else says (listen to me, Yelp, me and only me), and just order the BBQ Pork. Go with tradition. Don't forget the ginger ale. It really is excellent on a hot day. So yes, the location lacks the charm of the larger Wow Bao's, but if you need a quick bite, you're in luck.
(3)Samantha L.
I love me some hot asian buns. That is all.
(5)Jeanne L.
I greatly enjoy the buns here and the salads (I love the cool pad thai and spicy peanut!). It's in a key convenient location, right at the entrance for Water Tower, which means I'm always suckered into buying something from here. I tried the frozen yogurt from here today - and I am not a fan at all. It was actually kinda terrible..... I tossed most of my dessert out. (The cheap asian in me was crying a little bit inside.) The frozen yogurt itself is a bland plain/default flavor (that was missing the usual sour tang that froyo typically has, or any flavoring whatsoever). Wow Bao doesn't have offer any toppings, but they have 3 different syrup flavors (green tea, ginger, or pommegranate/hibiscus) and I opted for the ginger. The syrup was ok, but it all settled at the bottom of the cup in this pool of overly sweet gunk.
(3)Tiffany L.
Ah bao. A favorite of mine to snack on, especially when my dad makes them from scratch. With that said, this place is not reminiscent of my childhood faves, HOWEVER, I still enjoy it. The fillings are flavorful and the bun soft and warm, perfection. I love how the BBQ Pork is full of cilantro flavor. The Mongolian Beef and Kung Pao Chicken are filled with too much ginger for my tastes. For dessert, try the Coconut Cream bao -- it's yummy! Though it's a little on the expensive side (yes it reflects LEYE prices), it's worth trying at least once. Get the 6-pack for a better deal and split em with a friend. I'll end with this. My uncle-in-law from one of my favorite food cities, Vancouver, visited Chicago and didn't get to try a Chicago-style hot dog because he was TOO BUSY EATING AT WOW BAO. True story.
(4)Jenny L.
Wow Bao, I never knew you existed before but I already wish I had met you earlier... These little buns were quite a treat while roaming North Michigan Avenue. The curry and kung pau were delightful. Warm, soft buns and option for meat or veggie filling. Ordered the 6 pack to get a varied selection. Not a big fan of the BBQ as it was somewhat too sweet. Ginger ale was too ginger-y Friendly staff Would be great to have as a quick no mess lunch
(4)Emily H.
I spend a little too much time at this Wow Bao. Their Mongolian beef bao is great, so is the Kung Pao chicken. I just wish the latter came without peanuts (although it might, I've never asked). The chocolate bao is PERFECT for a chocolate craving. Just be careful because it might explode out the bottom and stain your blue sweater.... just sayin'.
(4)Darren F.
every time i shop at water tower place, i always come here and grab a few Bao. i have tried a few different kind and they are just OK. my favorite one is the coconut custard boa, its sweet and it taste just right. the BBQ pork is decent, but its no where as good as the ones from the Chinatown bakeries. Ive also tried the chicken teriyaki, Kung pao, thai curry, and mongolian beef... i think they are trying a little too hard with these combinations, its just too much. i do think wow boa is over hyped and kind of pricey for boas but i will still return and buy some coconut custard boa whenever I'm shopping at water tower place again.
(3)Saira K.
A is a steamed bun with different fillings. I like the whole wheat edamame bao. The texture of the dough is just perfect. Sometimes on the facebook page, they have a secret saying that will get you a free bao. Fun!
(4)Dan D.
The buns, the buns - come for the buns! Had the buns and chicken teriyaki on quinoa. The teriyaki was ok. The buns were great. Also tried the homemade ginger ale and ice cream. I'd recommend skipping both. But the buns, the buns, go for the buns. Word of warning: There is no seating AT ALL. You have to take it outside if you want to sit and eat. Also, you need to order yourself at the touch screen to the right of the restaurant.
(4)Kat X.
I ordered three baos and ate them all up in one sitting. The Thai curry chicken was my favorite. It was perfectly flavored, not too salty, just the right amount of filling. The spicy Mongolian beef was quite spicy for me but I liked its strong flavor and the kick of ginger. My least favorite was the BBQ pork because I didn't like the texture of the meat and there were little chunks of the fatty meat that wasn't pleasant for my mouth. One or two can be the perfect snack to boost your energy while walking around the Water Tower, or try a few flavors for a meal. I arrived after 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night and there were people milling around, some eating their baos, but I barely had to wait in line for my order. The employees were friendly. A downside is that there nowhere to really sit down and eat the baos. Overall, I would go back again. Next time, I'd like to try a sweet bao (seems like people like the coconut custard), any of the salads (I was a little wary of trying them this time because I wasn't not sure how fresh it would be), and the Thai herb broth.
(3)Phoebe T.
Decor = Awful. Food = Decent but overpriced. Price = Overpriced for what it is. Would not come here again. The food was mediocre while the prices were steep for what it is. The kung pao rice bowl was pitiful - there were barely pieces of chicken in it and the rice portion was quite small as well. The baos were okay but not worth what we paid for it. I'll just go to chinatown next time. ALSO, I asked to try the pomegranate ginger ale and the person said no! What the heck? We ended up getting it and it wasn't as great as everyone says it is.
(2)Gretchen D.
Another positive review for Wow Bao. If you want authentic, go to Chinatown. If you want fairly healthy fast food that is delicious, come to Wow Bao. Everything is good. I especially like the ginger ale. Not only do we keep some of their frozen ones in our freezer, they now offer bicycle delivery too!
(5)Isabelle L.
Yes these steam buns are a bit "Americanized" and are probably not the real thing but they are so tasty and so good it's real hard to pass by without making a pit stop and placing an order. I really appreciate that the nutritional facts are posted on he wall next to the cashier so you can make an informed choice: going for a low cal combo or splurge on a six pack of baos. In the winter the Thai broth with only 40 calories really has a kick and will warm you up in no time. All the baos savory or sweets are really good and worth trying. The coconut custard one and chocolate for desserts were much better than I anticipated and can become quite addictive so be aware. In a nutshell a good place to stop by for lunch for a quick bite that won't empty your wallet (on par with typical traditional fast food prices) but will leave you with a much better taste experience. Note, the seating area is one floor up so no you don't have to eat standing.
(4)Jasmin V.
I love your hot Asian buns Wow Bao. I wish there were more locations of you to tempt me. Fast, cheap and flavorable. My favorites are teriyaki chicken and mongolian beef.
(4)Lisa H.
its so wierd, but the different locations have slightly different menus! The best location is 225 n michigan, which has the bowls with noodles, and an awesome chicken spring roll, and a pad thai chicken salad. the only thing that doesn't jive with me is that the things that aren't supposed to be spicy , are! because of allergies to tannins, i cant eat several of the bao, or anything with berries or broccoli. That leaves me the curry chicken, which is YUMMY.. BUT -- it's been really spicy lately. I don't know if corporate changed suppliers.. but in the last two months, it's WAY too HOT.
(4)Len W.
Steamed buns are really good. I had several different ones filled with spicy fillings. Plus a coconut custard. All very tasty. I didn't like the homemade ginger ale. Too much ginger for me. There is seating, but it's up the escalator, second floor. There's no signs at the kiosk, so it's not well known. But it's really good. They have some frozen stuff available, too.
(4)Lorac L.
Great concept, i love their self-service ordering machine..i think all fast food restaurants should have that! Their ginger tea is superb..so is the bao but the size is quite small.. so you will need 2-3 to fill you up. The frozen yogurt is delicious too, quite a big serving too. I am gonna buy the frozen packs and bring them back to nyc!
(4)Lauren H.
On the rare occasions I go to Michigan Ave, I tend to grab some bao to go from here. Over the years, I have tried every kind except curry, and enjoyed them all. I especially like the two new sweet ones--coconut custard and chocolate-ginger-coconut custard. At $1.39+tax (or you can buy a 6 pack), it is a tasty deal. The only problem? They can be highly addictive. I wish I had another one right now!
(4)Joan A.
Fast food dim sum?!!!! This is crazy! Ok so it surely doesn't measure up to Luk Yu Chau La in Hong Kong but for fast food dim sum this place is the shiznit! Avoid the teriyaki chicken it's too freakin sweet but the Thai Chicken bun rocks the house! They run out of flavors quickly about 1 hour near closing time. Noodles were OK but I'd stick to the Bao that's what they're known for. Although it's frozen, it's not so bad again for fast food. I give it 5 stars because I can't always be in Hong Kong or San Francisco to get my dose of great dim sum!
(5)Shannon M.
I had to check this place out, what with all the hype, but I have to say I don't get it. The main issue was that I found the dumpling dough to be heavy and gummy, which rather dragged down the whole experience. I tried the kung pao chicken, mongolian beef, bbq pork, and coconut custard bao. The kung pao chicken and mongolian beef were both spicy, and I found them to be barely discernable from one another. The bbq pork was sweet, and that was the flavor profile: sweet. That was the problem: no nuance, just one note to the flavors. (Also, the pork was not shredded, but ground or somehow formed into strange pellets; it just looked weird!) The saving grace was the coconut custard bao; I would come back for these! It was as if you'd boiled down a can of sweetened coconut milk into a pudding and stuffed it into a dumpling. Yum. I also tried the homemade ginger ale, but I didn't love it like so many people seem to. I just wasn't impressed: I could taste the ginger, but it still tasted too watery. Frankly, the homemade ginger ale I make is better, and so is my canned ginger ale of choice (Vernors). My dad was with me and the whole menu was too weird for him. He didn't dig the fresh ginger ale, and he spurned the bao in favor of a rice bowl, which he pronounced okay. Overall, I expected more; I've always had a better meal at other Lettuce Entertain You places, but on the whole, the Bao didn't Wow.
(2)Sue Y.
Wow Bao, can you please come to SF? Warm soft sweet Asian bun with minced fillings kept fresh and steamed for eager patrons, this little franchise had an amazing system. We loved that the soups and liquids came out of the walls, and their system was so efficient. Service came quick and with a smile. Of all their offerings, I personally liked the spicy Kung Pao and Mongolian beef the most. What can I say? Spicy is good. Their chicken thai noodle was pretty good as well. Tasted similar to instant food, but really hit the spot when we were running through the mall. There's also spots to sit above the escalator.
(4)Joseph B.
I used to live right behind the Wao Bao in waterpower, and now I am just a few blocks away, every couple of weeks i get a crazy craving for the custard Bao, I know its been said before by others, I am just here to verify. go get one if you dare.
(4)Jessica Y.
Having grown up a lover of Asian food (I mean hey, I'm Asian!), I was so excited to try this place out! Of course, I was expecting more Americanized versions of these delicious buns, which they were, but hey, I can appreciate a different twist on a classic favorite! There are many options to choose from and they pack them in cute little boxes. It's a bit overpriced, but that's to be expected from downtown Chicago. For authentic bao's, I'd definitely stick with Chinatown! And they're much cheaper too!
(3)Kevin K.
wow bao indeed. little tender, soft buns full of juicy meat marinated in delicious sawces. i love it! i also love the fact that they have different flavors. more sawces the better! the bbq one is the best by far though. also the spicy ones are actually pretty spicy, so if youre not a brave, strong sawce bawss stay away from them. only downside is that they're kinda small, so you have to eat more than one. thats why you buy the six pack! ugh i want some now...
(4)Dora V.
The Thai herb broth is a soul-soothing elixir from the heavens. I fall to my knees in worship of its majesty. Amazingly healthy and cheap (2 bucks!), it's a soup-lover's dream. Always the aspiring chef, I did my due diligence and called corporate, begging for the list of ingredients. The predominant flavors are lemongrass and ginger, but it's ginseng that adds the je ne sais quoi. It'll put pep in your step! The finishing touch is a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Glory! The brilliance of it all. The bao themselves are tasty but they won't make you jump for joy. The salads and bowls of noodles are deceptively bad for you, which is a reminder that it is fast food after all. I skip all that and take two broths to go. In addition to the traditional point-of-sale, there is a futuristic do-it-yourself kiosk which makes for easy ordering, and helps the flow of customers during busy hours. The system is operationally efficient, which is clutch given its small space. Wow Bao is considerably faster and easier to navigate than the labyrinthine food court upstairs, and is absolutely worth a stop. If only there were parking!
(4)Curt L.
I remember when the Water Tower location first opened up....at that time having a place/option for Bao was fantastic. I still feel the same. Hand food is always appreciated when you are on the move. If not into walking and eating grab one of the nook/crannies on the steps going up to the second floor I love the curry chicken. The ginger ale is good....though the grandkids thought that it "tickled their throat" haha! I tried the Fro-Yo....not what I expected. Not even sure what I ordered as the sign showed a ginger flavor with various "sauces". Mine tasted like a lumpy Italian lemon ice??????
(4)Jane Y.
I love the IDEA of wow bao. like the fact they put dishes (mongolian beef and kung pao) in a bao. HOWEVER, this place is WAYYYYY overpriced. you can get a bao that is triple the size in chinatown for less than half the prices. do the math. seriously! But I usually will pick one up if Im at water tower or on free Wednesdays. I just would definitely not buy too many of them as they are super priceyyy
(3)Barbara P.
I love the baos from here, with their distinct flavors and on-the-go concept. The spicy mongolian beef and thai curry chicken were my favorite, but it doesn't hurt to try them all. But wait, I take that back. It does hurt... for your wallet. 6 normal sized baos for $8.49? Take note that these baos can fit in your palms, and 6 probably will not fill you up. Do yourself a favor, and go buy some at an Asian supermarket. If you do have money to throw away though, you can take two flights of escalators then find the seating area to your right after you get your food.
(3)Shradha A.
I'm a fan of Wow Bao - I'm a very crazy fan of Wow Bao - but I do prefer the one on State/Lake! Their whole wheat edamame bao is my absolute favorite!!
(4)Jessica W.
I used to work pretty close to this location, which was so nice. And it's centrally located for a pre- and/or post-shopping snack. And I'm writing this review, since now that I'm living 2,000 miles away, I sometimes think of this place and really miss it. All their baos are good, especially the whole wheat edamame (so I could pretend I was being healthy) and the thai curry chicken.. and the spicy kung pao chicken... Basically, they're all good. Also, if you follow them on twitter or check their fb page, they constantly have days where you can use "secret words" to get free baos. I LOVE free food! As for the other menu items that I've tried: their salads are alright, but I don't think it's the best value. The ginger ale tastes really gingery. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you reallly like ginger. Also, I prefer the frozen yogurt at other places to Wow Bao's. When I had it with pomegranate syrup, it tasted pretty artificial. Stick to the baos!!
(4)Aboud Y.
Pretty cool concept...the soups and baos are yummy but nothing really outstanding. No comment on the references to porn music (Bao chicka wow wow) and Asian buns.
(3)Jessica V.
Honestly, I don't see anything wow-y about this food or place. Can someone please elighten me. First off, let me say after a long day of walking on Michigan ave. on BLACK FRIDAY all I wanted was some warm filling snacky. Nothing big, just something to tie me over so I can continue to shop. My boyfriend told me to go to Wow Bao because they have these little bao dumpling thingys. Well, ugh after the food I ate at Wow Bao I would rather starve to death. Gross. I give this place two stars because the ingredients they put in the baos aren't the best but they could be better if they tweaked it. I also give two stars because my guy loves this place, but even he had a hard time enjoying our six pack of baos. He normally gets the spicy Kung pao chicken bao and on the busiest shopping day of the year when people are on the move doing their Christmas thang you think they would carry one of their most popular baos, but NO we were told they are out. I called this bad ordering skills or maybe just plain elementary planning skills. Really it's black Friday and you are located in water tower. There's no excuse for this to EVER really happen. Any hooter we had chicken teriyaki and spicy beef Mongolian baos. They were gross. Nasty. I wanted to vomit. And now all I have for this place is word vomit. Why were these so-called delicious creations "gross" you ask. Because it's all dough for one. Dough fills you up nd they are like $2-$3 or so I don't know I don't pay attention to fast food prices cause you get what you pay for. I'm on a tangent... They are doughy and on black Friday they were uncooked dough. You think they could get the one food item they specialize in correct.The filling was okay but there was too much uncooked dough. I'm Asian.... And I couldn't even eat this.
(2)Gene K.
Wow Bao is pretty solid. I totally dig the hot asian buns(nice pun, guys!). The price is decent(about $150 per bao a la carte), and the meal deals are reasonably priced. The potstickers are delish, and the herbal broth is great in cold OR warm weather. Nice bonus is that Wow Bao is owned by Lettuce Entertain You, so thier rewards card is good here.
(4)Dalia K.
I am very very surprised at all these positive reviews for Wow Bao. It was recommended to me by an acquaintance who raved about it and I had been wanting to try it for a while so I finally decided to do so this week, only to be extremely disappointed. I wasn't even able to finish my meal - that's how bad it was. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bowl with lo mein noodles and chicken potstickers. First of all, they garnished the bowl with a hefty handful of parsley or cilantro - I can never remember which is which because I hate the flavors of both equally. For me, these garnishes absolutely ruin a dish because unless you want to sit there and pick at your plate for hours, there is no way to remove them all. The flavor was instantly ruined before I even tried it. Secondly, the meat was weird. They were very small (almost minced!) pieces of chicken that were possibly fried, I couldn't tell, and doused in this non-tasty sauce. Don't get me wrong, I am usually a huge fan of Americanized Chinese food, but this was just bad. I honestly couldn't even tell what kind of meat I was eating, or if it was even meat at all. Next came the potstickers. Now, I will provide the disclaimer that this was my first time ever trying potstickers so I can't comment too much about them other than the fact that the chicken mush that was stuffed inside of them was extremely unappealing and displeasing. The soy ginger dipping sauce it came with was just as displeasing to my palate. The only good thing I liked were the lo mein noodles. That's about all I ate before I had to reluctantly dump the rest of the food. And believe me, I hate wasting food but I just couldn't down this stuff. It seems that I must have come at a bad time or something, because the other reviews here rave for this place, but all I know is that I will not be returning here again.
(1)Aimee M.
Hot Asian Buns. There I said it. My cousin couldn't stop saying it without laughing. I don't know if it was just amusing to her or the fact that we had a major retail therapy session along Michigan Avenue and we were giddy from hunger. These are a great on-the-go snacks. I tried the bbq pork and the Thai curry. Both were very good and I liked the flavor. The dough was light and soft, not at all soggy. I was very curious about the bbq pork one because my mom makes a great siaopao (Filipino version of bbq pork steamed buns) and I wanted to compare. The biggest difference I noticed was that Wow Bao's bbq had a hint of spice. I really wanted to try the ginger ale and the sweet ones, ahhh, that will be for next time Wow Bao!
(4)Stan L.
i love the concept.. the baos aren't bad either.. they are reasonably sized.. but a bit on the pricy side.. but that's what you get when you eat something like this.. the thai curry one is pretty awesome.. as is the kung pao one.. the mongolian one was too sweet..
(4)Kaai L.
For fast bao's this is the place to go. They have so many different options for bao, it's amazing! I got this chicken bao when I went to Chicago last. It was good, but not the best I had. I do like how fast you get them though and they do taste fresh.
(3)Tino S.
The dessert bao, coconut, was amazing. Enough said.
(4)Xiang L.
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(3)Steph F.
I was intrigued by the modern take to traditional baos and stopped here for a quick snack. My friends and I shared a terriyaki chicken bao, bbq pork bao, and chicken dumplings. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much grabbing a quick snack at a mall, but I was surprised how tasty the little baos and dumplings were. This is definitely a good place to stop if you're on the go or in search of a fulfilling snack.
(4)Sheenal S.
Wow bao is a tiny tuck shop like establishment that sells baos (Chinese buns), rice, noodles, salad and even quinoa with curries and stir fries. Soups are also available and their own brewed ginger bee available in a plain and pomegranate flavour. The food is cheap and delicious. And good after a day before shopping or substantial enough before.tpure out shopping at mag mile. I had the sticky kung pao chicken with rice and the kung pao chicken. Both delicious. Definitely going back
(5)Allen G.
I've had many a wow bao's in my life and they are consistently delicious. Every bao is packed full of really great flavors. My favorite is the chicken terryaki. The buns are always oh so soft and chewy, the perfect consistency for a bao. You have to remember this is american fusion buns. Don't expect chinese restaurant buns at chinese food prices. My wife and I usually get a bun each as a snack or pre-dinner app. The ginger drink here can be hit or miss. It can be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-!: ginger is perfectly spicy, and the overall drink is mildly sweet and oh so refreshing on a hot summer day... even cold winter days at that. My recent visit offered a ginger drink that had zero zing which was disappointing. I would rather they have said that the ginger was sub-par and they don't sell sub-par items, as opposed to selling me sweetened water in this case.
(3)Jill O.
Ah yes, Wow Bao. This is part of the reason why I keep visiting Water Tower Place after all these years. It's conveniently located on the first floor/foyer area, so it's easy to pop in and out. Not so convenient, their seating is up a staircase, so be prepared to carry your food up if you're dining in. Wow Bao is really reasonably priced. The bao (steamed dumplings) are only $1.89 a piece. How can that be beat? My girlfriend and I had lunch plans elsewhere, so we only got a quick bite here. I ordered a chicken teriyaki bao, and a coconut custard one ($1.89). She ordered a chicken teriyaki bao, a five-piece order of chicken potstickers with soy ginger sauce ($4.69), and a homemade pomegranate ginger ale ($2.69). The bao (baos?) were delicious. The outside is fluffy and soft, and the inside is full of flavor. The chicken teriyaki filling is sweet,with just the right amount of spice. The coconut custard one was a bit too sweet for my liking, but I'd order it again. The best thing we ordered was actually the potstickers. I've been to Wow Bao a number of times but had never tried them, until she ordered them. They were super flavorful and well cooked, the outside was just the right amount of soft and a little chewy. The dipping sauce complemented them perfectly. The pop was pretty delicious too. If you're torn between the original and pomegranate, definitely go for the pomegranate. This is a great little place for lunch on the go, that delivers great food and flavors for a tiny cost.
(4)Ron B.
When I come to Chicago, my family and I stop here at Wow Bao located at Water Tower place main lobby. We normally buy the Teriaki Chicken or spicy Mongolian Beef. I like the concept of the dough with the meat encased inside. The price ranges fro $1.99 each for one wow bao to $4.99 for a bowl combination. Since I am such on the run, I have yet to taste the bowls. I enjoy the flavor and it is a quick way to kill your hunger on the go.
(3)Frank O.
One of the many Wow Bao locations, this particular one right inside the Water Tower entrance is convenient and quick. It's small, but still has all the same goodies, so it's also efficient (not that such a thing matters much for your food-tasting pleasure). I recommend trying the Mongolian Beef and Kung Pao Chicken. The BBQ pork is also pretty good, but easy to get at any place that serves bao. I'm always curious about the desert bao, but haven't yet gotten the courage to try them, instead preferring to fill up on the meat ones.
(4)Irene G.
Yummy rice bowls (Thai Curry is my favorite) and the baos are delicious Good service Good location
(4)Darian J.
I had such high hopes trying Wow Bao for the first time. Whenever I visit Water Tower Place the line is always extensive. So, I finally decided to test the hype. Now, I am a huge lover of anything and everything Asian. I have never tasted more artificial / Americanized Asian food in my life. I was literally on the verge of tears (not really) because the food looked amazing but the tastes seemed like frozen Chinese food. I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken bowl with BBQ pork and Mongolian Beef baos. The only thing I enjoyed was the rice. It was perfectly steamed. All I can say is if you really want to experience a real bao, visit Chinatown. You won't pay such high prices for low quality Chinese food. The reason why this review is not 1 star is because the cashier and cook were so pleasant in attitude.
(2)Jason P.
WOW! Amazingly good. This is the best fast food ever....if you want to call it fast food. Everything here is good, so I don't have to give a long review. Definitely need to try the pomegranate ginger ale.
(5)Al L.
Before we started some shopping in the mall, we decided to get a snack at Wow Bao, which was located just past the entrance. The menu consisted of savory and sweet steamed baos, steam dumplings, rice and noodle bowls and salads. With Bao in its name, baos was what we were going to try. The savory filling choices included spicy kung pao chicken, whole wheat edaname, teriyaki chicken, Thai curry chicken, spicy Mongolian beef and bbq pork. Coconut custard and chocolate were the sweet options. We opted for the Thai curry chicken and bbq pork. After placing our order, we were told that there would be about a ten minute wait for the Thai curry chicken as they were being steamed. We opted to wait as this was an interesting filling for a bao. After getting our order, we took it up to second floor where Wow Bao has tables for its customers to enjoy their food. The Thai curry chicken filling was tasty and the BBQ pork was ok as I've had tastier ones. At $1.79 each and the size of the baos, I would say they are pricey considering BBQ pork buns that are larger can be had for $.75 each. I could have eaten two for a satisfying snack. Overall, friendly staff and unique choice for the bao filling. Just felt at $1.79 each, it was pricey for these small baos.
(3)Anamaria H.
Ordered the spicy mongolian beef bao. Cheap and yummy sustenance during a long day of shopping. Definitely recommend if you're hungry but aren't ready for a huge meal. They offer quick service and it's in a great location.
(4)Angeli D.
Conveniently located at the entrance of the Water Tower Plaza, this little fast food Chinese spot I'm sure gets a lot of traffic. I came here twice while I was on vacation in Chicago and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's fast and quick and easy to grab and go. The Thai curry chicken Bao and the BBQ pork Bao are the two I tried. They are a bit small for the price, but it is in the city in the Water Tower so I guess the price is to be expected. The steamed buns are just right. Not too thick on the bread and not too moist and light. The curry chicken was my favorite between the two. Also because it's in the front entrance, not too much seating area. You have to go upstairs if you want to have a seat while enjoying your Bao. I like the convenience of the location and the fast food style it provides, but I do wish it had better options for seating. I thought it was a bit over priced but to me it's still worth the try.
(3)Angie O.
I am in love with this "fast food" chain. It is so delicious and the baos are relatively low cal (the nutrition facts are listed - love that too!). I highly recommend the thai curry chicken bao and mongolian beef (it is kind of spicy). All of the dessert baos will rock your socks off. The newest addition is the banana bao, which is in a chocolate dough. Amazing! I absolutely have to visit Wow Bao whenever I am in Chicago. I dream about them. I crave them. I want one now!!!! The day that they open a Wow Bao in Milwaukee will be a glorious day indeed!
(5)Randall L.
Great place to go to for a quick snack or food on the go. Also great for people who love spicey foods and are coming up with a cold. All their fillings for their Baos and dumplings are all ginger based, so they're spicey. They also serve bowls and soups which I never got around to. The place is the first thing you see in the water tower lobby coming in from Michigan. It doesn't look like they have settings Cuz it's in the main lobby, but they have seatings reserved on second floor up the escalator. Went with the Spicey Mongolian beef and Kung Pao Chicken Baos with Thai Broth. All three are somewhat spicey, but if u can take medium at Buffalo Wild Wings you can scarf these Baos down easily. Overall great snack
(4)Selena L.
My favorite is the thai curry chicken bowl and/or bao. Tried the hot ginger tea for the first time and it was as refreshing and delish as could be. The mongolian beef is great also! Like them on FB and get occasional promos for free bao Wednesdays.
(4)Sara T.
2-3 buns and you'll be full. It's an Americanized take on the traditional Chinese bao zi (steamed bun). I prefer traditional fillings. At Wow Bao the spicy Mongolian beef is the closest to traditional tasting and probably my favorite of all the options. The ginger drinks are very strongly gingered. Not for me, but my sister seemed to love it.
(3)Dan B.
Ah, it was ok. stopped by for some pork buns and chicken buns before heading to the 360 observatory. I like the chicken teriyaki the best.
(3)Nicole H.
I just wanted to grab something small and fast to stave of the hunger for another hour or so. I decided on a chicken curry bao, mongolian beef bao and an original ginger ale(I will never pass up house-made ginger ale).It was decent. The ale alone will get me to return to try other items.
(3)Susana F.
Great for a quick bite while strolling through Chicago. The pork buns were pretty good. My favorite was the chicken teriyaki.
(4)Haley B.
I love bao! Wow Bao is wonderful. Conveniently located at the entrance of Water Tower Place, it was really easy to find and get to from our hotel. There was a line to order, but WB also has kiosks where you can order electronically and there was no line there. They were easy and fun to use. I ordered two bao, the curried chicken and General Tsao's. Both were excellent, though curried chicken was definitely my favorite. My sister ordered a curry bowl and it was really good too! We shared an order of steamed dumplings that we also enjoyed. I wish we had Wow Bao in Utah! The value and quality were both great!
(4)Hannah H.
About a 2-2.5: After roaming around on Michigan Avenue, we came to check Wow Bao out for a quick snack. There was a huge line, so that was quite exciting! We chose to order their 1/2 dozen, eliminating the 'sweet buns' and going for their savories: teriyaki chicken, spicy kung pao chicken, whole wheat edamame, thai curry chicken, spicy mongolian beef, and bbq pork baos. It seemed that after the first couple of buns, they all manage to taste the same :P I think my favorite out of the whole set was the whole wheat edamame, with whole edamames in a wheat bao - no sauce in this one - pure vegetarian-like. I've also had their 'signature homemade' ginger ale - it was like sparkling water with ginger syrup. +wheat edamame
(3)Srishti K.
This is a comment on the service for this place rather than Wow Bao in general. Being in Water Tower, this location seems to get pretty busy and it's pretty understaffed. I ordered one bao (just one) and the time it took to get it was absurd. After waiting 15 minutes, I finally got frustrated and complained. The guy behind the counter apologized and made sure to make my order next. As I walked out the door to eat my bao, I realized that there was a free bao in there....so I guess it was worth it?
(3)Stacey K.
Simple, cheap and delicious. Order at a kiosk for even speedier service. The bao are delicious and the Thai herb broth is the perfect remedy for the chills. Ginger ale is made on site and tastes unique and spicy - if you're looking for Canada Dry, avoid! Will be back for a quick handheld meal on the go.
(4)Jenny L.
This cute little bao shop has a great assortment of baos. We actually went here 3 days straight to order something. We ordered the mongolian beef, curry chicken, kung pao chicken, bbq pork, and chocolate. The mongolian and kung pao are my favorites, they have great flavor and have a nice kick to it.
(4)Louise G.
Love all wow bao locations, these are incredible and even better when you just want to grab a quick bite to eat and fill up-be warned that these fluffy dough like drops are a lot more filling than you would think, I definitely over ordered my first time not that it was a problem! I have been back many times and always leave satisfied
(5)Livvy O.
I was out Christmas shopping and about to head on the L back home so I decided to grab a pork bao to go. The place is in Water Tower place in the entrance so I thought it would be a quick stop since it's not really a restaurant, but a stand. I had to wait 10 minutes for it! But I have to say this was the best dumpling I've had and I can be really picky with dumplings.
(4)Kallie A.
Absolutely amazing! This is my first time eating a Bao and I wish I lived in Chicago so I can eat more. My mom and I ate here when shopping on Michigan Ave. We got one Kung pou chicken bao each. They were so soft and fuffy. When I took the first bite I was in love ! The Kung pou chicken was delicious. We actually liked it so much we went down and got more. We also got to try the coconut custard bao and it was delicious as well. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone going to Chicago.
(5)Lisa L.
Fast, efficient, many different kinds, always a great place to grab a few on your way out of Water Tower Place. Thai coffee too sweet not that great.
(4)Eric P.
Wow! Delicious bbq pork buns!!! I will go back! It is a bit of a long walk to the far end of Michfan Ave by it is totally worth it. I wish I could go there more often!!!
(5)Paddu P.
NOMS! Had their ground beef and dessert baos. Delicious! Their service is slow. But mine was hot and fresh. Great for when you're shopping and starving. Quick and easy bite to grab!
(4)Jimmy N.
Yummy yummy big city goodness. It's a super quick snack that's easy to consume on the run and while covered in layers of snow. But be aware you can get pretty full off those boas. BBQ boas are the best and the lemonade is delish!
(5)Vee K.
Fresh ginger ginger ale is delicious, not yucky sweet at all. My friend got a Thai curry bun and a chocolate banana bun. Says she feels like she is back in Thailand. Super fast service. Just have to find a place to sit and eat. We went up one floor and sat in a comfy alcove and people watched while we snacked.
(4)Tavi J.
When I'm in the mood for a little something different I come here. This location is fast and it's conviently located on the lower level of the water tower. I usually pick up a little something before I shop. Savory wise I normally get the Teriaki Chicken Bao. It's a little on the sweet side and has a good flavor to it. I also enjoy the chocolate bao. Warning though it's messy. It never fails I will take the smallest bite and chocolate just starts oozing out every where. Be prepared with a napkin. They also have combo meals. I've gotten one once and it came with their thai herb broth. Great for a cold winter day and reasonably priced.
(3)Linda L.
Don't come here if you want authenticity. Then again, that's not what they're aiming for. I had their chicken dumplings, which were very flat with a sad lack of filling compared to what I consider dumplings. Their buns are all pretty sweet-tasting. All in all, not bad not if you just want buns, but a bad choice if you want authentic buns. Overpriced for what you get.
(2)Brenda T.
Sure these buns are Americanized, but sometimes an authentic dim sum place filled with steamy carts is not readily available. I ordered a refreshing cold peanut noodle salad and two steamed buns - Thai Curry Chicken and the seasonal Pumpkin bao. I liked the salty and sweet combination, and this helped me avoid getting dessert later in the day. The buns are small with limited filling, so the fun was in trying something new if you want to shake up your snack routine while shopping in Water Tower Place.
(3)Seb H.
Teriyaki chicken bowl should be named a rice bowl. Big bowl of rice covered with a very thin layer of sauce with some small chicken pieces in it. Wasn't even enough sauce for the whole bowl of rice. Not worth it.
(2)Rinny K.
This place is great for a quick snack. The Bow has alot of flavor. Must try this on a cold day. They have soup and homemade Ginger ale. The coffee says Thai but its not. It's regular I should have ordered the Ginger ale. The Bow taste nice and soft and it's the freshest I have ever tasted. My favorite is the curry and spicy beef. For those who enjoy spice they have packets of chilli sauce.
(3)Natasha A.
This place was located in one of the shopping malls close to my hotel, and it offered a quick snack for me while I waited for my room to be ready. The food was ok, considering it is a fast food joint, but I will not be coming back for seconds. Food: The menu of this joint is mainly filled with different types of steamed Chinese buns, with a small assortment of noodles and soups. I got a curry chicken bun, BBQ pork bun and a ginger ale. Both steamed buns were ok but not very authentic as far as the flavors. The texture of the bun itself was nice, soft and warm, but the sizes are so small! They aren't even the size of my palm, and I have small hands. Maybe I am spoiled because I live in an area (San Francisco bay area) where you can get softball sized authentic steamed buns for about the same price. I was expecting 2 buns to be enough for lunch, but it ended up being a just a snack. The ginger ale was way too gingery. It was so gingery-spicy that I would consider it undrinkable. After a few sips I had to throw it away. Price: The price of their items seems reasonable, but I would say their steamed buns are way over priced for their size. $1.50 for 1 bun seems cheap, but if you need to buy a dozen buns to feel full it's not really a good deal. If you are just looking for a light snack this place is great because you can get a few different items for a very cheap price. Atmosphere: This place is considered a fast food counter inside of a mall, so there really isn't much atmosphere to it. There is no immediate seating by the food stand, but if you take the escalators up a bit you can find some tables and benches to eat at on the higher levels. Staff / Service: The cashier was very friendly and welcomed each guest with a smile. I ordered using the kiosks because I thought that would be fun (and it gave me plenty of time to browse the food options.) The staff who put your food order together seemed very stressed out and didn't smile at all as they yelled out order numbers. I don't expect much from a fast food joint, but at least the guy who was taking orders seemed friendly. This place is great for a quick, cheap snack if you are shopping in the mall, but I would not go out of my way to each here. There was nothing really special about their food, but at least it was different than the typical fast food counters you see in malls.
(2)Vivienne H.
I think this is the most authentic restaurant for people looking for Chinese Bao and salad noodles! Bao with Teriyaki chicken or BBQ pork were our favorite, and I'll have spicy peanut noodles every time! You will find tables upstairs, this bothered us at the first time. Servers are friendly and efficient. There're another 3 WOW BAOs in the downtown, this one is not taking delivery orders, the Wacker Dr one do.
(5)Jessica A.
Thai curry and pork bao WOW. Perfect snack before shopping around the area. The line moves fast and your order is ready in less than 5 minutes. Warm fluffy buns were perfectly delicious.
(5)Jenny H.
Absolutely amazing. Thai Chicken Curry was the BEST. Like coconut? Go for the coconut custard. SO yummy. Pomegranate ginger ale was so delicious. Take me back!!!
(5)Yvonne B.
I've been interested in checking out Wow Bao for ages! It took the Elemental Yelp event at Castle to introduce me. I tried Teriyaki Chicken Bao and Spicy Mongolian Beef Bao. And check me out. I've been craving it ever since. I woke up talking to M about it. I was like "I'm going to eat Bao Wow for lunch today!!!" (yeah, I had it backwards but I was absolutely stoked this rainy day). I looked it up online and scouted out the locations. I was STOKED to see that the Jewel down the street carries them in the frozen section. And then M pointed out that the building next to her work has a Wow Bao location that's open for breakfast! So, I joined M for her commute to work and we stopped in to get some Wow Bao together. She got some oatmeal (she said it hit the spot) and I got a box of six baos: two Coconut Custard Baos and four BBQ Pork Baos. I brought them back to M's place and have been eating them while watching my shows (I think this may be the PERFECT way to spend my day off!). The guy at Wow Bao was super friendly. He seemed genuine and happy. What made him skyrocket awesome to me is that he explained that I could give them five minutes and they could steam any bao I wanted (such as a lunch time bao for breakfast). That's just amazing because I'm not the biggest fan of eggs and I was crazy about the flavors I had at the Yelp event. The actual location of this Wow Bao was pretty tiny. It did have a few places to sit, but it was pretty obvious that it's the type of place where you grab your food and go. That's cool for me!
(5)Sylvia C.
Love the concept...fast food steamed buns filled with meat. You can order them in the kiosks...ready to eat or frozen for take home. Reasonably price for snack food. The fillings are too saucy and americanized for my palette.
(3)Shelly M.
My boyfriend and I tried the BBQ pork, chicken teriyaki, Kung pao chicken, and spicy Mongolian beef. Our favorites were the BBQ pork and chicken teriyaki. The other two were okay. The baos are pretty filling, but overpriced. I would rather go to Chinatown and get more for your money, but not a bad place for baos when you aren't close to Chinatown.
(3)Haley F.
Big fan of this place - if you're looking for a place to get a quick, affordable, and filling bite to eat, this is it. All of their chicken baos are great - I love the thai curry one and the spicy teriyaki. I also have had their soups and thought they were pretty tasty. Great casual place to grab a filling meal - quality ingredients, fast and polite service.
(5)Michelle C.
My boyfriend and I were wandering around Water Tower Place and saw "Wow Bao" in the directory. We immediately needed to find it (he was craving BBQ Pork Buns). Since we had never been to this mall before, we had some difficulty finding it, but BAM, there it was by one of the entrances. It's a fast food type of place with cute decor. They have many flavors you can choose from, but since we were going to have dinner in a bit, we snacked on two: the Thai Curry Chicken & BBQ Pork. The chicken was definitely unique but didn't blow my mind. The BBQ Pork was OK - lackluster compared to what I've had in the past. In my opinion, the price was a bit much: almost $2 each for a 2- bite bao. For mall food, that seems pretty steep. Other than that, staff was nice and their seating is inconveniently located on the next level up. If I"m ever back in Chicago I'd definitely try a few of their other flavors!
(3)Grant P.
Wow Bao. You make my heart sing. You make everything...delicious! Ok, so Wow Bao needs a new review like I need a delicious steamed Asian bun. (Read: Not at all). I doubt many folks outside of my Yelp friendship circle will even read this, but I don't curr because I heart them so much and they deserve all five of my stars. My wife and I have been patronizing the WB (that stands for Wow Bao, for those of you who didn't get it) since forever ago when they first arrived in Water Tower Place. Super jazzed were we when they expanded across the rest of the city (and howzabout a little love for the suburbs, eh?). The steamed buns come in a variety of wonderful flavors. Read all about them throughout the rest of the reviews above and below this one. My favorites are the curry chicken and mongolian beef. Wonderful. I usually get full on about 3-4 of them. They're perfectly portable and great for snacking on as you explore WT Place or the surrounding wonderfulness of The Magnificent Mile. I am in love with their homemade ginger ale. Which is made from real ginger, but thankfully not real gingers. I was scared there for a minute, afraid they might try to cultivate me for their soda. It's not safe to be a ginger in this world, lemmetellya. In other news, I recently discovered that they have these wonderful bowls that are topped with the same fillings they use inside their buns. I had a thai curry chicken bowl. You can pick from rice or quinoa and healthy lunches make me happy, especially since I'm doing this calorie counting thing. The whole bowl was well within my limit. And I was pleased to find that most of the bao themselves hover under 200 calories a piece. This place is awesome. Wow Bao...I think I love you.
(5)Corelle P.
Wow to the Bao! My first time going to Wow Bao was in the year 2004. I was hanging out with friends at Water Tower, trying to decide what to have for lunch= McDonalds or Wow Bao. Looking back I'm glad we went to Wow Bao. Ever since then I tried almost every freshly steamed, savory asian bun they offered!
(5)John F.
I thought their teriyaki chicken was unimpressive. It was like teriyaki stew poured over rice.
(2)Burt M.
Love the service. Always friendly. I am willing to swim through the sea of blind, idiot tourists that gather out front just to get a hold of one of their soft, warm carb and meat filled balls. Seriously what more can you ask for? Two of the greatest things God created on the 3rd and 7th day (bread and meat respectively) perfectly blended together, under the same principles rivaling that of our solar-system, achieving palate-blowing homeostasis. Meals on plates and sandwiches are sloppy and is a two-handed chore. This architectural ingenuity conveniently packs the meat (seasoned with Asian awesomeness) in a one-handed, two fingered cuisine that would make Frank Lloyd Wright and Leonardo da Vinci roll over in their graves. The history behind this Pritzker Award deserving concept roots back to the Chinese being brought over to America for plantation labor. They needed a quick, on-the-go meal. Though plantations today are arguably gone, our fast-paced lives still demand the on-the-go meal and should be a staple to any business man or soccer mom today.
(5)Bill F.
Overpriced at $6.49 for Bao combo. This place has zombies working behind the counter. The Baos are basically bad dim sum!
(1)Kelly P.
My brother and my really good friend from Orlando Jennifer love this place. Their kung pao chicken was our favorite. I even ordered a bunch for my family. Bao wow was able to delivered it to Minnesota.
(5)Maile N.
4 stars for the food and 3 stars for the service. I bought a pork bun and a bunch of dumplings to eat before my flight home the next day, and I loved them. My hotel room had a microwave so this was perfect. Flavors were great and I was good and full! The service was eh, not too friendly and was not too patient as I was trying to decide what I wanted. Whatever, I took my food and ran! Great location at the front of the Watertower shops!
(4)Kevin W.
Some great quick eats while shopping in water tower place! The chicken noodle soup was really good as were the steamed buns!
(5)Kenneth P.
It's really sad because this place is decent but they unfortunately hired a really bad person. I work in the mall, and when I was on my lunch break I got Wow Bao. I was making friends with the cashier. Is was cool, but immediately after the two workers there started laughing at him thinking I was hitting on him. Then they made fun of him acting like he was gay... he obviously wasn't. And I had to tell those guys "nah its not like that at all." (I'm straight) Later I swung by looking for my new friend and the guy who made fun of him told me he was gone. I told him "oh, well my name's Ken, I work in the mall too what's your name?" This guy steps back a step and says "it doesn't matter what my name is." I was confused, maybe I heard wrong so I asked, "I'm sorry, what?" And he LITERALLY said "Im not trying to be your friend." What?!?! Not only are you in a service position but we work in the same community, not only are you ridiculously rude, incredibly insensitive, and shady as hell! I feel really bad for the guy who got called gay for being friendly. I feel bad for the manager who hired a bad employee. And I feel bad for this guy who's got too many friends and is so homophobic he thinks everyone is gay. Anyways. That was incredibly unprofessional. And sad that they have no respect for building a sense of community in the mall.
(1)Elizabeth F.
Rather under impressed by Wow Bao. What gives! I had a late appointment in the professional suites of Water Tower Place, & wanted to grab dinner to take home with me afterwards. I had tried Wow Bao at a big holiday Yelp event in 2011. The buns tasted great! Today, I bought an order of vegetable buns & a veggie/rice bowl. The rice bowl was just that - RICE. There was a smattering of veggies on top, no sauce. I tried mixing the veggies in, & I still ended up with forkfuls of plain, white rice. :( The bao were tasty as I remembered... unfortunately, I learned they're just frozen bao, steamed before you buy them. Had I known all of this, I may have spent my $$ elsewhere.
(3)Gspot H.
Bizarre to find this spot in #Chicago's #WaterTowerPlace right at the formal entryway. Steamed, healthy options. The Lemonade is pretty good too. There are chairs n small tables on the floor above to grind at baby girl...
(5)Tommy V.
I had the thai curry. Wasn't that good to me, but then again I have much exposure to asian food.
(3)Lori H.
Me and my husband love coming for quick snack at this place! The thai curry and kung pao is delicious. I had been here a few times and noticed the prices had gone up, but being downtown its worth it! Highly recommended for quick snack.
(4)Kevin C.
Had quite a few of the baos. The taste was okay and there were some interesting fusion flavors. These were interesting to try, but not really incredibly memorable. One this is the price was too high. Having eaten a lot of Chinese food, I can tell you that you can find a bigger bang for your buck in China Town. Despite that, there were some unique flavors here.
(3)Laura J.
I love the bao here for a filling yet not overbearing meal mid-shopping or exploring day. I don't think it's the most authentic Chinese food but it gets the job done. The only bao I didn't like was the edamame. It had little taste.
(3)Nathasja T.
Mmmmh bapao. Bapao are steamed sticky buns, filled with a minced filling of meat and/or veggies and they are addictive. Bapao is one of the many crazy-popular multicultural (snack) food staples in Amsterdam & the Netherlands. Growing up I've thrown many of these in the microwave for a quick lunch or midnight snack. Dramatically put, this is (one of) the food(s) of my childhood and I was excited finding it here, in my new country! Wow bao is conveniently located at the bottom of the escalators at one of the Water Tower Place mall entrances. Tucked away in a small corner there is often a snaking line of people waiting to place their order on the touch screen gizmo. Wow bao was doing this type of ordering before an iPad even existed.. swanky huh. The fresh homemade ginger ale and hibiscus iced tea are refreshing and good. The drinks are not overly sweet, which is a plus for this strict waterdrinker. The bao are small-ish, two make a perfect snack and three and up will really fill you quick. They are little pockets of joy, which is mighty handy when walking around the mall. No fussing with forks, or the fear of dropping something from in between your sandwich. As a meateater I used to enjoy the mongolian beef, chicken teriyaki (albeit sweet) and bbq pork varieties. There are however several veggie options available. Wow bao has more locations throughout town, around the Loop area there are a couple. I believe they are/were a part of the late Ben Pao restaurant which, though not stellar, served up some pretty aight food.
(4)Yi W.
This place is not wow at all.. You just pay for the location, not the food. As a person who eat a lot of Asian food, this place is def below average. We tried 5 flavors: BBQ pork, teriyaki chicken, beef, curry chicken, I forgot the last one. The skin is soft, but the meat tastes weird to me: they put whatever weird herbs in it.. The lemonade and ginger ale is ok. It is the first time i got a ginger ale with this strong ginger flavor in it.
(2)Francisca W.
I didn't review this place, like, right away? Wow... but JUST wow... wow without the bao. Guess what, my friend who planned the itinerary for this trip (happened last Nov, btw) had this place on our list. The day we passed by one (closer to the Marilyn Monroe statue), it was closed -- figured that place was geared toward office clientele, so understandably so it was closed on the weekends. We were looking forward to visit the one on THIS location the day after. It was Sunday, about dinner time, and this place is right under the Lego store, so you bet it's open. So we entered into the building, and being AT LEAST 15 FEET away from it, behind the crowd that was in line for some buns, we started to take some pictures of their store front. No flash, mind you. And then we were about to order some buns to try ourselves. Suddenly, a very harsh voice yelled out to us: "NO PICTURES!!! NO PICTURES!!!" An Asian (presumably Chinese) man looked at us and screamed angrily from behind the counter, while busily prepping his orders or rolling dough or something. Interestingly, last time I was "barred" from taking pictures by the store staff while on MALL GROUND was in Shanghai. Are Mainland Chinese THAT protective of their store that they think they own the air surrounding it as well? And was that man thinking we probably wouldn't be patronizing given that we were also Chinese, so he might as well shoo us away so we're not in his way? Sadly, I was going to patronize, but I won't now. Coz your discrimination against your own race is more unappetizing than any bao that I might or might not have even seen you make. Too bad, coz I was about to contribute to my people and patronize their business, and I was actually excited to try their bao. But bc I took one picture too many to their liking, I was treated like a plague. Who in the right business mind doesn't like free advertising these days? I would tell you all: don't even bother "checking-in" to this place, coz they probably wouldn't appreciate that very much, either. If you're in China, they might have already shot you by now. Funny thing is, I was practically standing on the ground of the BUILDING, so I was not even in their "domain" of control. They had no "store" to enter into; I was ON PUBLIC GROUNDS. So unless this dude was a uniformed guard or something, I don't think he had the right to command us. And it's not likeI was being stupid or using flash, or even video-taping his "business secret", you know. Power trip much? Bottom line, if you REEEEALLY have a problem about people taking pictures of your work, I say put a stupid sign up (and I will respect that), or do it in the basement. On second thought, why not close your store altogether coz we can't even take a picture of the STORE -- not that we were zooming into his hands trying to get between him and his dough, you know! The whole idea of him hating on us taking pictures and admiring their work, is plain ridiculous and uninviting. So yeah, at the end of the day, wow is right. Just no bao.
(1)Paul E.
Cheap, quick food you can get on the go, that is tasty the same time. Perfect for breakfast and lunch. I can't say I've ever had a breakfast (egg) bao before. May not be the best bao you'll ever have, or be a place you have to try, but sometimes you need places like Wow Bao to supply you with something quick and cheap. I myself grabbed two little baos for breakfast before going to the Museum of Science and Industry while on a trip to Chicago. For a traveler on the go who is short on time, this place is a good option.
(4)Ali D.
Solid consistent food! This is my family's Go To take away joint when in a pinch. Delish consistent food ... All the time. Check it out!
(4)Dan S.
I know. It's just like, wow! Bao! Sure, it's not super authentic, but it's good stuff. The general tso's bun was addictive. I was disappointed in myself for only ordering two. But the rice bowl was good too. Overall, a nice change of pace from the typical fast food.
(4)Christina G.
Service is very quick. Definitely one of my favorites for a fast lunch. I loved the teriyaki chicken bao.
(4)Deacon M.
Whenever I'm over here, I have to get my bao fix. They sell them frozen at jewel, but it's just not the same. I love the ginger ale, the pomegranate ginger ale, 8 veg salad, edamame bao, and the broth...I wish I knew how they made that broth. Check it out, they have raised the prices over the years of me coming here, but now you can get on their coupon text list. Yeah, I can be a sucker for a deal, sometimes referred to as "cheap ass", idc! They need to open one in hipster sq or wicker park...
(4)Shannon K.
I noticed that all of the Wow Bao's rank around 3.5 stars and that seems spot on. If Yelp allowed half stars (and they should) I would also give this location a 3.5. A strong 3.5. I rather enjoyed the food. It's fun. It's fast. It's affordable. It's mobile (well at least the bao buns). You can either order at the kiosk and get a number or order from the cashier and get a number. The big stackable steamers where the bao buns live kind of remind me of the whack-a-mole game, but instead of whacking moles the servers are grabbing buns. They have 6 packs of bao buns; you pick the flavors, for under $10. Combo of salad or different soup and 2 bao buns for $8. Absolutely delicious cold spicy noodles, sauce served on the side. Fresh ginger, ginger ale's. Well it clearly has fresh ginger in it, but it concerns me a little that it's coming from a tap, makes me feel like it might be mixed with something on the less than healthy side. Regardless it was refreshing and went well with the spiciness of the food. I ordered a chicken flavored bun and a bbq pork bun. To be honest, I couldn't tell you which was which, but I can tell you they both tasted good. I am definitely going to check out the other locations and eat my way through those hot Asian buns (that's their tagline, not mine).
(4)Sarah G.
I first had Wow Bao at Riot Fest where I got two boas for $6 which for festival food pricing isn't too bad. And they were actually pretty good for being steamed at a festival! We got the spicy mongolian and the bbq pork there and we were pretty pumped! Then the other day we were walking around and needed a snack, and behold there was a Wow Bao right in front of our faces! So we go into the tower to find there are no tables by this venue (I guess there are a few up the escalators maybe??) but here I could get 6 baos for less than $10!!! Gotta love festival up pricing :-) But we were pumped to try all of the flavors! Here is the run down of a few worth mentioning: Whole Wheat Edamame: not the best...thought it would be tasty and a healthy bao, but it just had no flavor... Kung Pao: so so good and spicy! packed with flavor! Thai Curry: just so so...not so so good...but so so Mongolian: still awesome and tasty BBQ Pork: how could it not be good? Coconut Custard: kind of weird... So all in all, I think this place is hit or miss, but it is made fresh, and it is cheap, and a fast snack to grab.
(3)Brooke O.
I have worked across the street for a long time but only recently tried Wow Bao. The bbq pork bun blew my mind! I did not know what to expect when a friend described the dumpling with pulled pork in it. I'm a sucker for anything pulled pork related so I got one just as a snack. It was fast service, the food was served quickly, and in the end it was delicious. The only thing is I wish they had more seating. There is some if you go up the escalator to the second floor.
(4)Don L.
We were at Water Tower, and we've seen all the positive reviews here on Yelp, so we decided to give it a try. We tried the bbq pork, teriyaki chicken & the spicy kung pao chicken. The baos are small and snack size, which is probably convenient when walking around a mall. But I'm used to the bigger boas you get at dim sum. At least the boas here were priced accordingly. Taste wise, they were good. Nothing special, but not bad. The teriyaki chicken was good, not too sweet. The spicy kung pao chicken wasn't really all that spicy, and I don't really go for spicy foods, so it's not like I have a low tolerance for spicy foods. Of the 3 I like the bbq pork the best. I would eat there again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do it.
(3)Dalton D.
Very tasty bao and chicken herbs broth. However just acknowledge that the combo of 2 baos and the herbs broth is more expensive than separate buy. Is that a cheat?
(3)Allen H.
It's Americanized Chinese bao. Subpar in every way. If you really want to try good Chinese bao, go to Chinatown. The concept is interesting though.
(2)Jamal S.
This didn't live up to the hype ! It was just regular . I ordered the chicken curry rice bowl and it was so blah . Not enough sauce and no real flavor and hardly any chicken . Guess I was expecting too much and was just really disappointed. The portions were small too . I'd say skip this place and go somewhere else .
(2)Aaron Jae M.
I have tried a bunch of their different bao and their teriyaki rice bowl. They were both tasty and they are fast with the food without losing quality. It was a pretty good treat but I thought it was a little pricey. Not the type of place I would go that often even though I wish I could.
(4)Sarah F.
Don't want none unless you got buns, hon. As far as counter-order kiosks inside a mall serving Americanized Asian food with slightly offensive slogans go, this place is solid! Disclaimer: I haven't had bao very many times and I haven't had it in a long time so I am not the best judge in terms of comparisons to some constructed or agreed-upon authenticity standard of bao. (I don't play authenticity, but for those that would hold a mall kiosk to such scrutiny I figured I would let ya know up front.) I had the BBQ pork, curry chicken, and the whole wheat veg. The curry was the winner! The buns were made tastier with a little soy sauce dripped onto them. The filling-to-bun ratio is pretty good but leans slightly to the Bun-heavy end of the spectrum. The bottom line is that this place is quick and tasty. It gives you what you need to reenergize and shop a little longer. You'll be feeling satisfied until the time of your dinner reservation at some expensive place connected to a hotel. Mercat comes to mind if you need an idea :)
(3)Jason W.
Pretty good fast food concept since you can just scoop up some Bao's and head straight into the mall. Everything is pre-made in batches so that probably explains why my food wasn't particularly fresh. They have your traditional BBQ pork but they also have other flavors like Kung Pao. The Kung Pao had a soft enough bread portion but the texture was off, didn't have that springy feel too it. The filling was decent, but overall I would say it was what you would expect from an Americanized bao. The good thing about this place is that their food is fairly priced, I think I spent just a little over a dollar for a bao.
(3)Kelsey H.
Great mid-Christmas shopping snack!! Steamed hot white Chinese mini-buns with your choice of filling... there's nothing better to bite into (and to warm your hands with) on those windy Chicago wintery days! I had the thai chicken curry bao which was very tasty, full of flavor, and (although my sister disagrees) I thought had a great bread-to-filling ratio! My sisters are traditional and love the BBQ pork bao (which is the char siu bao). You order and pay on their self-service touch screen which makes the process speedy and convenient. SUPER CHEAP!!! $1.69 +tax for 1 mini-bao, and you can also order a pack of 6 if you want to share with some lucky friends or family of yours!! Lastly, they have seating upstairs (up 2 flights of escalators) if you want to enjoy your wow bao while sitting.
(4)N T.
In Chicago for a week and came here three times. Every time we would get the teriyaki chicken Rice and Bao. It hits the spot. It's not cheap, but so are all the restaurants in the neighborhood. We will sure to visit again next time we are in town.
(4)Mad I.
It is what it says, so if you like the kind of strange consistency bread, its an okay little steamy snack. $1.67 for one
(4)Jane W.
3.5 stars. Almost $2 for a tiny bao bun? Would rather spend that money on a more authentic, better tasting dimsum place where prices are way better. On the bright side, the bun itself tasted pretty good. And the service was fast. But probably not coming back.
(3)Cheryl L.
Cheap, fast, and delicious! Bao's are so warm and tender, and you see a little steam come out when you bite into each one. Filling is generous, and they have a bunch of great flavors, both sweet and savory. I like the sweet baos, and Coconut Custard is my favorite. Electronic ordering on the side with your credit card makes the wait super short. Great little snack while shopping on the Mile. Chi-town!!
(4)Bethany A.
I was shopping with two friends when we dropped by here for a quick pick-me-up style dinner. I really like baos - they're kind of my comfort food, but Wow Bao was just kind of average. For the price you pay and what you get, I'm not sure it's worth it. We ordered kung pao chicken baos, Thai curry chicken baos, and BBQ baos. The kung pao chicken baos were honestly kind of weird and not great, but the Thai curry chicken and the BBQ baos were both okay. I don't think I'd come back just because my grandma can make baos from scratch that are way better, but I guess this place hits the spot if you're seriously craving baos and nearby!
(3)Sheila K.
I like coming here for a quick snack. You don't have to wait too long and you get a delicious bao. Per piece it is like $1.70. That is pricey in asian standards, because you can get 2 of those for that price at an asian place. The ratio of filling to bread is good and the size is not to heavy for a quick snack. I like the whole wheat veggie bun. Give it a try.
(4)Hannah P.
Great pit stop while shopping for a quick snack and refreshing drink. The lime ginger soda was my favorite part about this place. The bao (hot buns) had a lot of different filling choices. I tried them all but edamame. The BBQ pork, chicken curry, and surprisingly the coconut custard were my favorite. But the fillings just weren't enough- I wanted them to be overflowing and more saucy. The price was reasonable and make sure to check in on Foursquare for a free bao.
(3)Eva Y.
Fast snack, fast food, fast self-ordering touch screens.... man! It's pretty awesome. The steam buns are soft and yummy. Mongolian beef? spicy and good! The teas are a bit sweeter than they should be... like Southern Sweet Tea! Other than that... the food is pretty legit and service is pretty decent. Whether you want a quick snack or order a dozen frozen ones to go... this is the place! Oh wait, chocolate bun? Dude!!!! Dark creamy chocolate and asian steam bun...... drool...
(4)Calvin Y.
Still love me some Wow Bao! Their soft, pillowy, steamed coconut custard baos are my favorite. Located inside the bottom floor of the Water Tower, this makes for a great pick me up during a long shopping marathon!
(4)Gina S.
I got a combo lunch; my choice of 2 bao and a cup of Thai broth. They had a "special" bao or the day, week or month that was something like Duck Curry, so I got that and a Kung Pao Chicken bao. I haven't met a bao I didn't' like. They are quick, easy and always flavorful. The Kung Pao is probably one of my favorites. It's got a nice spicy kick and there's some nuts or something that gives the filling some texture and a little bit of crunch. The Thai broth was awesome, even tho it was blazing hot out, I was still loving it. It was like a cross between chicken broth and tea, it had a savory ginger and lemongrass flavor. I just know I'll be craving Thai broth during the winter.
(4)Katie R.
Hot & Steamy Fresh & Tasty Quick & Cheap It may sound like I am describing a book featuring Christian Grey, but I assure you, I'm not! Who would have thought putting delicious Asian meat into a puff of dough would be delicious? Well, believe me friends, this is the real deal! In a random stop along Michigan Ave, I was told I HAD to try this, and it did not disappoint! Great snack for a girl on the go :)
(4)Lillie Z.
Delicious bao and friendly service! What more could you ask for? A little pricy for what it is but as a tourist I had to try out the stops and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Ordered the combo of 2 plus an AMAZING herb broth soup- very filling for only a couple hundred calories!
(4)Ramena A.
This place is really good. There's no seating, but the dumplings are small and made for on the go eating. I think they were delicious and extremely affordable. Two Baos are like 3 dollars, and they're a good small meal.
(4)Monica S.
Craving a satisfying Asian snack? Then, head over to Wow Bao to get some Asian buns! My favorite is the whole wheat edamame bao, made with a yeasty, whole wheat dough exterior and a filling of crunchy peanuts, vegetables, and edamame. The mix of textures and warm, savory center are addicting for both vegetarians and meat eaters. So I urge you to swing on by, and pick up some buns!
(4)Michael A.
There is absolutely nothing about this place that gets me excited. I ordered every one. The Bao has been severely bastardized by America and this place is a huge contributor. Wow Bao, I'm giving you 2 stars instead of one because A) you are extremely accessible B) you are a decently affordable snack that doesn't completely suck.
(2)Britt C.
The perfect little snack! Bao! Bao chicka wow wow! Ok, I'm getting carried away. Thai curry chicken is my personal favorite, but I have tried a few different flavors. They also have hibiscus iced tea which is pretty good. I love being able to try several different things and call it a meal, this is a great place to do just that!
(4)Times T.
The food is ridiculous!!! Very very very bad taste. Totally different with real Asian foods! The price is unreasonable! One little Bao costs 2 dollars! The Bowl is as tiny as you can imagine! The rice is raw! I had a very tough experience with it! 22 dollars for my lunch, I ate nothing but trash!
(1)Claire J.
Wow Bao serves your basic Asian steamed bun, but Gold Coast style. Meaning that they're very expensive if you compare them to the ones you can get in Chinatown for half the price. But for a quick bite to eat on North Michigan Ave, it's actually quite cheap. It is fast food though. The buns are all freshly steamed on site (but they come frozen to the place). I usually get the curry chicken and the BBQ chicken. I tried the edamame one, and while not gross, it wasn't exactly tasty either. I also usually get the thai noodle salad (there's a combo that comes with 2 bao and the salad for ~$7). This combo actually makes for a very satisfying lunch.
(4)Christie M.
Finally found this place. I remember searching for it years ago when they were moving locations and failing. Very limited choices. We tried several things from soups to buns to rice bowls. Perfect portion size for me. Not bad for a fast food Asian lunch.
(3)Jim K.
This a great pickup dinner option for me on nights when I don't feel like cooking, but want to stay in. The people are nice. Love the ordering options: either wait in line in the traditional sense (usually with the tourists), or use a kiosk to order, and avoid the line (like a champ!). Food has always been solid. Quite inexpensive (six buns for under 9 bucks). The menu is simple, but the occasional curveball (special Bao) are usually welcome. Would I consider these traditional? Not really. But Delicious, filling, and could be worse health wise. Nice in a pinch. Haven't gone wrong with a choice here yet.
(4)William C.
I heard about this place from my cousin and I happened to be in Chicago for a day. My hotel was only a 5 minute bus ride away; so, I had no excuse not to stop at this place for a quick bite. This location is located on the street level of Water Tower Place. I stopped here on a Sunday and didn't realize that they didn't open until 11AM. No worries, I walked around the mall for a bit (burning off additional calories to consume MORE bao). I showed up a little after 11AM and there was a short line of people already! There are two ways to order, either person-to-person or using a touch screen kiosk. I opted for the touch screen, being the techie geek that I am. The system was very easy to use and extremely intuitive. The pricing is straight forward with clear pictures and description. The checkout process is super fast (credit cards only). I went for the 6 pack of bao and a hibiscus tea (cold). The got 2 bbq pork, teriyaki chicken, thai curry chicken, spicy mongolian beef and a coconut custard. The bao themselves are a good size, about the size of a small apple. The flavor is amazing, I was pleasantly surprised to be honest. The bbq pork is just like eating one from a Chinese dim sum place. Full of flavor and the distinct Chinese bbq pork flavor and smell. The other one that I loved was the coconut custard. Not too strong in the coconut flavor and not too sweet; simply a great blend of two simple ingredients. I was a little surprised with the price. I paid $12 for 6 bao and an iced tea; which I felt was a little steep considering what you get (Chipotle burrito with soda is still under $10). Even with a higher price, they delivery on a great product with quick service in good locations. I'll definitely hit this place again the next time I'm in Chicago!
(4)Ha C.
These were sooo yummy we brought some back home to TX!!! spicy Mongolian beef-good thai curry-good kung pao-good bbq-ok kinda sweet (different taste from the dim sum joints) didn't get a chance to try the noodles
(5)Richard S.
My son and I had a late lunch/early dinner while in town for a convention. Ordering through kiosk is straightforward and menus are clear. Service was decent - buns arrived after 5 minutes - together with Ginger sodas we ordered. Food was warm, not hot, and "ok". No scintillating tastes here! Ginger soda was excellent, tasted like ginger beer. We also had some chicken pot stickers - bland and uninteresting. Decor was decent, except for the garbage station that was out of commission... huh? I would think there are better options in Chicago.
(3)Clara C.
Cheap, delicious, quick. What more could you ask for? Great location in the water tower for a pick-me-up snack. Only complaint would be that there should be a little more meat in the buns, but for 1.20 ish per bun, I guess I can't complain much. My friend ordered two of each bun. The standouts were the kungpao, the thai curry chicken, and the mongolian beef.
(4)M C.
What I like most was the soft, moist, warm dough. This location doesn't open until the mall opens at 10 or 11 so that rules it out for breakfast. The baos aren't huge but for a little snack one is enough. For a meal you will need at least two. They also have dessert baos. I tried the BBQ pork and coconut custard. The filling was good, nothing that really wowed me though. However makes a good snack if you need something to eat on the go.
(4)Valerie H.
Online ordering is simple and easy. Pick up during lunch sounded pain free (my co-worker picked up at brought food back to office). I ordered 3 different Bao. Thai Chicken was lacking creaminess and had too much limey tang. The Spicy Mongolian Beef was only slightly spicy and completely lacking in the smokey green onion flavor that I think is essential in Mongolian beef. So for me, the winning Bao was... Coconut Custard! Prices are high for what you get. I'm not in any rush to order from here again.
(2)Dwayne O.
Easy to find around Chicago and a nice change to snacking than hamburgers or junk food with a good variety of fillings. The BBQ, Curry and Teriyaki were one of the better tasting Bao's. The only negative thing is they look like they are not hand made and sort of like a manufactured frozen type. Great concept and great name and logo.
(4)Ashland T.
I love Wow Bao, quick, good, and lots of choices. I really like the Chicken Curry and the Teriyaki, and the chocolate bao is awesome!
(4)Peter L.
What a great little snack! Just the perfect size with some interesting choices. Tried the bbq pork and was not disappointed, especially for less than $2. This location does not have a seating area, so just grab one to go before or after you shop.
(4)Basil D.
Why isn't this concept bigger?????? First, I believe that Wow Bao is part of the "Let Us Entertain You" conglomerate of restaurants, a Chicago based company. That's a good thing, They run great restaurants. If you've never had these Asian buns, you are in for a treat. They are soft, warm, steamy, tasty! When you sink your teeth into them, it's like pressing into a dense cloud of something heavier than cotton candy, like stacks of warm "Wonder Bread"(When I was a Benedictine monk, we had an old monk from England, Dom Austin, who, upon his first taste of American Wonder Bread exclaimed, "it's a wonder they can call it bread!"). Aaaaaaaanyway...... When you get to the center of the bun, you have very tasty, spicy filling. Now, it is HEAVILY seasoned, no matter which "bao" you choose. But I do love the chicken curry the most. SOOO GOOD. Do yourself a favor, when you're in the Loop, order a couple of these. It's the perfect snack. I will say it's a little heavy on the bread and light on the protein or filling for a full meal, even if you buy 3,4, or 5. They're unique, you won't find them in a lot of places. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE ELECTRONIC ORDERING MACHINE!!! It's actually very efficient, and I always get my order ahead of anyone who's second in the line when personally ordering.
(3)Ramya P.
Perfect snack while shopping in Michigan ave I always make it a point to make a quick stop here to grab a bao (a steamed bun that's stuffed with different fillings) when I'm shopping around in Michigan ave. The only savory vegetarian bao is the whole wheat edamame and it is the healthiest snack in an area with pizza and fries as main food options. I'm a fan of their ginger ales as well.
(4)Christina F.
What can I say? Everything is frozen there and they heat them up. The soups are pretty much the same except for the broth that comes out of a spout in the wall. The terriyaki bun I had was just OK, I don't think I'll be back. Wow Bao wasn't a 'wow' it was more like a '....meh.''
(3)Yee Gan O.
Argh! Someone has 'stolen' my get rich quick plan! I had always thought that bao were the perfect street food to pick up and take away to be eaten easily in hand. I had visions of a franchise selling innovative baos as a snack or more substantive lunch Well, Wow Bao have beaten me to it and they've made a good fist of it. They have some traditional bao with char siew (barbecue pork) but also offer new flavours like spicy mongolian beef and even sweet bao liek coconut custard. I had a Thai chicken curry bao, which was tasty. The dough was bread-like but slightly chewy, exactly what you'd expect in a bao. The filling was distinctive and the proportion of filling to dough was right. You can also get salads and bowls with rice or noodles but I suspect these are pre-packaged and not cooked fresh. I also enjoyed some of that fro yo - they only offer the original tart flavour but the pomegranate sauce with it added a needed sweet edge. Good luck to them - at least they've turned my dream into a classy business.
(4)Brandy C.
I am surprised!!!!!! I got coconut custard and my friend got spicy kong bao chicken. They are amazingly delicious, especially in the winder in Chicago! Little bao can warm your heart!
(4)Nicole T.
I love this place! I got the bbq pork bao and the spicy kung pao chicken bao, made it a combo and added the spicy peanut noodle salad and it was SO GOOD. I am Chinese and have had legit asian buns but I actually really loved the flavors of the buns here. The spicy peanut noodle salad was also delish, it came with cucumbers and cilantro, and the dressing was very spicy and had a great zing to it. The buns were amazing and soft, and they gave a good amount of meat inside. The only thing was the price per bun ($1.79 or so) was quite expensive, considering in NYC china town one bun is like 80 cents.
(4)Christina F.
I've always passed Wow Bao and thought of what a horribly weird concept it was. I mean Asian meats and veggies in a bun? Just to warn you, I'm extremely dodgy when it comes to anything Asian. With that being said in the 2 years I've lived in the city, I never had any desire to go here. However, when I heard a couple students in one of my classes talking about it and how good they were I started getting curiosity about them. I was waiting for my express bus outside of the water tower and looked at my CTA app and it wasn't coming until 15 minutes. I knew if I went in the water tower and walked around I would come out with a few bags of needless shopping. That's when I decided I would go check out Wow Bao (located in the lobby entrance, no threat to my wallet). I decided to order the Kung Pao beef Bao and a chicken teriyaki Bao. The total was a little over $3, I'll take it. The bus finally came and I made it home to try my Bao. The first one I tried was the beef. It was kind of weird at first (because of the blandness of the bun), but then I actually started to like it. I took a bit into the chicken teriyaki and enjoyed it as well. It did have a little too much cilantro for my liking though. Bao is definitely something I will be craving in the near future and for about $3 for something that filled me up, I can't beat it.
(4)Ashley K.
Awesome pho and Thai broth! Cheap, fast and fresh! A great find and I plan to go often.
(5)Jon K.
Made for a very quick and cheap snack. Ordered 3 bao: beef, teriyaki, and kung pao. The beef and kung pao were great, whereas the teriyaki was just too sweet for my taste. It doesn't really make for a full meal, but if you're in the area shopping and you could use a snack then this is the place to go.
(4)Chock L.
This store makes me feel like I'm in my hometown. The teriyaki bao is so delicious. It's good place to get snack
(4)Lucky C.
i LOVE wowbao!! custard bun, thai chix bun, thai chix rice bowl, pomegranate ginger ale!!! All a MUST!!!
(5)Nikki S.
I got the teriyaki chicken bowl & thought the food was very very tasty--and somewhat low cal for a lunch option. The staff was not the friendliest or maybe I was just a bit confused with how to order and what came with what, but very good and reasonable prices for down town
(4)Paige W.
Love the quick dim sum
(4)Ehow C.
Oh Wow Bao, I wish I could frequent your establishment more often. The dough is spot-on, and the filling is hot and delicious. And considering the cost, it can make for a great lunch or even dinner. I'm just sad I don't like your ginger ale as much as I want to. I just love "regular" ginger ale too much.
(4)Michael L.
Delicious dim sum (baos) and the homemade ginger ale is an addiction.
(5)Mike A.
Love the buns, but be careful the chocolate ones tend to squirt out on first bite (That just sounds so wrong, but accurate). The terryaki chicken is a great choice and my kids love the pork. Get the box and mix it up; great food to share with friends and family. I only wish we had one in the burbs...
(4)John M.
Grabbed a Chicken Teriyaki Bowl for a pre-theater snack - perfect size, perfect flavor. Fast service, reasonable price for the meal, and the ginger ale was superb.
(4)Lorrie M.
I'm really embarrassed but this was the perfect snack for me when I was shopping at the tower. It was really yummy and hot and fresh! They had such a huge selection for a fast food place in the mall I was surprised. They are cheap and for something that's probably not authentic, they have great flavor and soft buns which is the perfect consistency. You really can't go wrong here because it's small enough to be a snack but large enough to be a meal if you order multiple and even the bf thought it was pretty good. They do serve other things than Bao's but I only got the Baos.
(4)Samantha E.
Grabbed a quick pork bun on the go and it was a perfect pick me up. Soft bun, delicious filling, and cheap!
(3)Liz O.
If you are visiting the Water Tower Place, you have to stop by at Wow Bao. I very much enjoy their rice and teriyaki chicken... the baos are pretty good too... I also enjoy their beverages, especially the pomegranate. I typically eat here when I shop at the Mag Mile--love it!
(4)Elle N.
This location is more of an express location. The menu here is a condensed version and the work space for them seems very cramped, then you have to carry your food to go eat at some tables upstairs. The flavors are the same but at the other locations it seems a lot fresher, but that's just me. I would recommend thai curry chicken on jasmine rice, or the thai chicken noodle soup. Go to one of the other locations if you can, the atmosphere is better and food seems better too. Plus there are more options!
(3)Christina G.
I think they put crack in this stuff. Every time I go to Water Tower, the absolute first thing I MUST do is have 3 baos, no matter the time of day. I usually get a whole wheat edamame (healthy, slightly bland but actually still tasty), and then I mix and match the other two. Once I actually bought the frozen 6-pack, which turned out well at home and was easy to make (i.e. microwave). Love it.
(4)Alexandra C.
I thought I vvas going to love this place vvhen I first happened upon it. My first thought vvas I vvish vve had a healthy, cool option like this in our malls around NY. VVhat a great idea. The pom ginger drink didn't have a strong ginger flavor (or ginger pieces) like I had hoped. So perhaps order the regular ginger for stronger flavor. Tried the chicken teriyaki - this filling vvas vvay too svveet. Didn't enjoy it. Kung pao - this one vvas a lot better tasting, flavorful and not too spicy. Curry- I didn't care for this one much. Something about the curry, hotness and the bun together --- no. The bun itself is nice and soft, but rather blah in taste. So really a great idea, and a healthier fast food option for a quick and very cheap snack. For myself, the flavor didn't vvovv me (no bun, I mean pun intended ;) to go back.
(3)Steve N.
Wow Bao is the Baomb. Get the spicy mongolian buns. Always good. This is a great spot to snack at in Water Tower Place. The prices are inexpensive and the service is fast and friendly. So much to try, so little time. Try everything here.
(4)Voravut R.
As I was walking the streets of Chicago I bumped into this great little place and fell in move after first bite. They way that one orders really impressed me. I have nothing against face to face interaction but well laid out kiosk do impress me. Their ordering system was fast, friendly and very easy to use. Once I got my little bag of goodness I was very happy. I took one of each bun flavor and a rice bowl plus a glass of hibiscus tea to their seating area upstairs. It was like being in the streets of Bangkok again. I wish they had a franchise in Boston. These little morsels are a perfect snack for any time of the day or night. I especially enjoyed the Mongolian beef and curry chicken. Please spread the hot Asian bun revolution to the the northeast please!!!
(4)Kien M.
This place is overrated. I tried their spicy mongolian beef and coconut custard bun. I love the concept but they do not compare to the original buns found at dim sum restaurants.
(3)Vivian H.
I was intrigued and ordered the new penang duck curry bao... bao was a little soggy but the filling was flavorful with a bit of lemongrass. Definitely good for a little Chinese treat on-the-go.
(3)Jae C.
Expensive and not so tasty. The flavors are obviously Americanized forms of Chinese and Japanese foods (teriyaki chicken, kung pao, etc.) and some are even atrocious (chocolate, peanut butter, etc. if I remember correctly). Priced at around $1.60-$2.00 each, these things will barely satisfy any snack or meal craving you might have. They tasted dry and salty. The bun itself was thick and tiny. You could finish one in two bites. The worst part is how long it takes to get your order. It should be fast given these things are sitting around pre-steamed but for whatever reason the staff were very slow.
(3)Kent C.
This place is a pretty interesting concept. I only got the Bao here and some drinks. I would most likely not order any pot stickers here cause well... They're ridiculously overpriced. First the drinks: Original Ginger Ale - Definitely made for ginger lovers. It's super duper gingery tasting, not like the commercialized ginger ale most people are accustomed to. Hibiscus iced tea - nice and refreshing Bao: Spicy Kung Pao Chicken - Do yourself a favor and don't order this unless you're just curious Mongolian Beef - NOM NOM NOM! I want more. Coconut Custard - Egh well it's coconuty. Pretty standard Chinese Bao. I would prefer to have some crazy flavors you don't traditionally find.
(4)Brian R.
Fast food bao are a staple in Asia. Why they haven't passed up the taco here is kind of beyond me. This is a first good stab and bringing Asian street food to the street level of one of Chicago's busiest malls. It's a hit and a miss. Hits: The bao are excellent. Steamed well, freshly made, a good variety, from their standard roast pork to a chicken curry to the mongolian spicy beef. The dessert bao are great too. They serve up a wicked home-brew ginger-ale as well. Misses: The restaurant is on the ground floor, but you have to go up two escalators to get to a landing where the mall has given them some table space next to Macys. There are only two employees, so trash mounts up in the bins upstairs and it's impossible for them to check it when they're busy. They need a third in staff to attend to stuff like that. The Thai broth was nicely spicy, but it was salty and it was served in a coffee cup which, for presentation, was a whopping big zero. The chicken rice bowl was heavy in sauce and veggies and light on the chicken. It's a five if you stick to the bao, and you don't mind the escalator ride up to a possibly clean table. This restaurant would also be a five with some amendments to the menu and in a different location.
(3)Thomas W.
I usually hate these Asian Fusion type places but I really enjoy the convenience of this place. The baos are outstanding--I prefer the pork baos, but the spicy Mongolian Beef and the Kung Pao chicken are also great. The Kung Pao Chicken bowl's are great on a cold Chicago day. It has a decent kick to it.
(4)Amy B.
The buns here are tasty, filling, and cheap. I particularly like the curry chicken and (to my own surprise) the coconut custard. I love that the small size of the buns lets you customize your order to be snack-, meal-, or binge-sized. Some of the buns can be a bit dry, and I wish they had a more extensive vegetarian selection for when I roll with my herbivore homies.
(3)Ashley B.
A nice little spot for a snack when you're shopping and on the go. The salads are also good, but this isn't the best location to really enjoy one since there's no seating or anything. Their teas are also nice and the ordering process makes everything go super fast. Food is obviously not mind-blowing, but it's meant to be finger food and it accomplishes that goal.
(4)A F.
Their Kung Pao Chicken is spicy and amazing!!
(4)Lyn P.
Wowed by the chocolate and coconut custard baos. Tried the whole wheat edamame, bbq pork and spicy mongolian and all were off for me. Which bummed me out because the outside is soooo good but the fillings were just meh. I did also love the ginger ale. Thumbs up on their touch screen ordering system.
(3)Chole L.
Good environment, great customer service, food (Bao) are just so-so. Any dim-sum place at china town would have a better taste bao than here.
(3)Irah H.
Ok. I guess if you're Asian, you'll feel the filling of the bao tastes funny. BBQ pork supposed to be char siew (red colour) not soy sauce based . I also tried the Kung bao chicken, which I think it's weird. How ever theyve done a great job for the bun as its soft and not dry at all.
(3)L G.
I don't know why I waited so long to try Wow Bao. Maybe because I was scared of the unknown- hot asian buns? Anyway, they offer a bogo of a bun with a foursquare check in. Awesome. They have dessert buns. And next time- I will focus my energies on trying all the buns before I return back to the bowls. I had a chicken curry bowl with quinoa. I love that they offer quinoa. The portion was a little small, and a little salty, but overall pretty good and it's not terrible for you either by weight watcher standards (always good to see!). For buns, I had the edamame- delish. And the chocolate- which was very very chocolatey and had coconut in it. Which, thankfully I like, but I still feel they should say that. Anyway, my friend had the coconut custard one and we split the two dessert buns, both were good. But....not as good as the other buns. I deduct a star because their employees were not very friendly, no 'hello' and not very knowledgeable.
(4)Anwar H.
Super awesome bao's. Get them all. The rice/ qiunoa bowls are also awesome!
(5)David J.
I love this place! It's a quick and casual place to grab a quick bite in Water Tower Place. I recommend the curry bao and teriyaki bao, and my wife loves the ginger soup. Hard to find a better bang-for-the-buck on Michigan Avenue.
(4)Matthew W.
What's not to love? Steamed buns, just like the street food in Singapore/probably anywhere else in asia. They make their own Ginger Ale. The food is always hot, fresh, and delicious. A couple innovative things they do to make the experience amazing: Touch-screen kiosks to order from right next to the counter. This way you don't have to wait in line. BUT!!!!!!! I never use the kiosk because I get the Foursquare checkin speacial. Every time you checkin, you get buy one get one free bao. Can't beat that. I never spend more than $5 and I always leave satisfied. Try the Coconut Custard one if you're into sweet stuff. It's great. WARNING: Take the paper off the bottom of the boa BEFORE you take a bite. I'm an idiot.
(4)Amy L.
Perfect place to brief food moment during the shopping spree :) Their Mongolian beef, curry chicken, and Kong Pao chicken baos are delicious. The noodle salad with peanut sauce is also wonderful. You can eat till you are somewhat full but never to the extent of unable to wear your fav skinny jeans. Although the low cal and the taste are the cons, I won't recommend long-term intake because of the additives seem a little intense. I got soooo thirsty afterwards...
(5)Stephanie L.
I have to admit that I love their little buns...I could eat them until I can no longer say wow bao. Seriously, I had some the other day for the first time and I cant believe I have never had these little pockets of deliciousness. Normally I am not a fan of chain, fast food type places.... Alas, I found one that I have to say....I will be back (in an Arnold Schwarzenegger tone).
(4)Carl G.
The Mag Mile Wow Bao is imprisoned within some mall or another, a sterile space crammed with expensive tourist shops and occupying no more than about 20 or feet of space. The menu is different than the location across the river, and there isn't very many places to sit inside to enjoy your food, but the food is still the food. The bao are great. Ordering and payment is through the kiosks, which greatly speeds up the process. Again, ignore what everyone else says (listen to me, Yelp, me and only me), and just order the BBQ Pork. Go with tradition. Don't forget the ginger ale. It really is excellent on a hot day. So yes, the location lacks the charm of the larger Wow Bao's, but if you need a quick bite, you're in luck.
(3)Samantha L.
I love me some hot asian buns. That is all.
(5)Jeanne L.
I greatly enjoy the buns here and the salads (I love the cool pad thai and spicy peanut!). It's in a key convenient location, right at the entrance for Water Tower, which means I'm always suckered into buying something from here. I tried the frozen yogurt from here today - and I am not a fan at all. It was actually kinda terrible..... I tossed most of my dessert out. (The cheap asian in me was crying a little bit inside.) The frozen yogurt itself is a bland plain/default flavor (that was missing the usual sour tang that froyo typically has, or any flavoring whatsoever). Wow Bao doesn't have offer any toppings, but they have 3 different syrup flavors (green tea, ginger, or pommegranate/hibiscus) and I opted for the ginger. The syrup was ok, but it all settled at the bottom of the cup in this pool of overly sweet gunk.
(3)Kat X.
I ordered three baos and ate them all up in one sitting. The Thai curry chicken was my favorite. It was perfectly flavored, not too salty, just the right amount of filling. The spicy Mongolian beef was quite spicy for me but I liked its strong flavor and the kick of ginger. My least favorite was the BBQ pork because I didn't like the texture of the meat and there were little chunks of the fatty meat that wasn't pleasant for my mouth. One or two can be the perfect snack to boost your energy while walking around the Water Tower, or try a few flavors for a meal. I arrived after 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night and there were people milling around, some eating their baos, but I barely had to wait in line for my order. The employees were friendly. A downside is that there nowhere to really sit down and eat the baos. Overall, I would go back again. Next time, I'd like to try a sweet bao (seems like people like the coconut custard), any of the salads (I was a little wary of trying them this time because I wasn't not sure how fresh it would be), and the Thai herb broth.
(3)Phoebe T.
Decor = Awful. Food = Decent but overpriced. Price = Overpriced for what it is. Would not come here again. The food was mediocre while the prices were steep for what it is. The kung pao rice bowl was pitiful - there were barely pieces of chicken in it and the rice portion was quite small as well. The baos were okay but not worth what we paid for it. I'll just go to chinatown next time. ALSO, I asked to try the pomegranate ginger ale and the person said no! What the heck? We ended up getting it and it wasn't as great as everyone says it is.
(2)Gretchen D.
Another positive review for Wow Bao. If you want authentic, go to Chinatown. If you want fairly healthy fast food that is delicious, come to Wow Bao. Everything is good. I especially like the ginger ale. Not only do we keep some of their frozen ones in our freezer, they now offer bicycle delivery too!
(5)Isabelle L.
Yes these steam buns are a bit "Americanized" and are probably not the real thing but they are so tasty and so good it's real hard to pass by without making a pit stop and placing an order. I really appreciate that the nutritional facts are posted on he wall next to the cashier so you can make an informed choice: going for a low cal combo or splurge on a six pack of baos. In the winter the Thai broth with only 40 calories really has a kick and will warm you up in no time. All the baos savory or sweets are really good and worth trying. The coconut custard one and chocolate for desserts were much better than I anticipated and can become quite addictive so be aware. In a nutshell a good place to stop by for lunch for a quick bite that won't empty your wallet (on par with typical traditional fast food prices) but will leave you with a much better taste experience. Note, the seating area is one floor up so no you don't have to eat standing.
(4)Jasmin V.
I love your hot Asian buns Wow Bao. I wish there were more locations of you to tempt me. Fast, cheap and flavorable. My favorites are teriyaki chicken and mongolian beef.
(4)Lisa H.
its so wierd, but the different locations have slightly different menus! The best location is 225 n michigan, which has the bowls with noodles, and an awesome chicken spring roll, and a pad thai chicken salad. the only thing that doesn't jive with me is that the things that aren't supposed to be spicy , are! because of allergies to tannins, i cant eat several of the bao, or anything with berries or broccoli. That leaves me the curry chicken, which is YUMMY.. BUT -- it's been really spicy lately. I don't know if corporate changed suppliers.. but in the last two months, it's WAY too HOT.
(4)Len W.
Steamed buns are really good. I had several different ones filled with spicy fillings. Plus a coconut custard. All very tasty. I didn't like the homemade ginger ale. Too much ginger for me. There is seating, but it's up the escalator, second floor. There's no signs at the kiosk, so it's not well known. But it's really good. They have some frozen stuff available, too.
(4)Lorac L.
Great concept, i love their self-service ordering machine..i think all fast food restaurants should have that! Their ginger tea is superb..so is the bao but the size is quite small.. so you will need 2-3 to fill you up. The frozen yogurt is delicious too, quite a big serving too. I am gonna buy the frozen packs and bring them back to nyc!
(4)Lauren H.
On the rare occasions I go to Michigan Ave, I tend to grab some bao to go from here. Over the years, I have tried every kind except curry, and enjoyed them all. I especially like the two new sweet ones--coconut custard and chocolate-ginger-coconut custard. At $1.39+tax (or you can buy a 6 pack), it is a tasty deal. The only problem? They can be highly addictive. I wish I had another one right now!
(4)Joan A.
Fast food dim sum?!!!! This is crazy! Ok so it surely doesn't measure up to Luk Yu Chau La in Hong Kong but for fast food dim sum this place is the shiznit! Avoid the teriyaki chicken it's too freakin sweet but the Thai Chicken bun rocks the house! They run out of flavors quickly about 1 hour near closing time. Noodles were OK but I'd stick to the Bao that's what they're known for. Although it's frozen, it's not so bad again for fast food. I give it 5 stars because I can't always be in Hong Kong or San Francisco to get my dose of great dim sum!
(5)Stan L.
i love the concept.. the baos aren't bad either.. they are reasonably sized.. but a bit on the pricy side.. but that's what you get when you eat something like this.. the thai curry one is pretty awesome.. as is the kung pao one.. the mongolian one was too sweet..
(4)Kaai L.
For fast bao's this is the place to go. They have so many different options for bao, it's amazing! I got this chicken bao when I went to Chicago last. It was good, but not the best I had. I do like how fast you get them though and they do taste fresh.
(3)Tino S.
The dessert bao, coconut, was amazing. Enough said.
(4)Shannon M.
I had to check this place out, what with all the hype, but I have to say I don't get it. The main issue was that I found the dumpling dough to be heavy and gummy, which rather dragged down the whole experience. I tried the kung pao chicken, mongolian beef, bbq pork, and coconut custard bao. The kung pao chicken and mongolian beef were both spicy, and I found them to be barely discernable from one another. The bbq pork was sweet, and that was the flavor profile: sweet. That was the problem: no nuance, just one note to the flavors. (Also, the pork was not shredded, but ground or somehow formed into strange pellets; it just looked weird!) The saving grace was the coconut custard bao; I would come back for these! It was as if you'd boiled down a can of sweetened coconut milk into a pudding and stuffed it into a dumpling. Yum. I also tried the homemade ginger ale, but I didn't love it like so many people seem to. I just wasn't impressed: I could taste the ginger, but it still tasted too watery. Frankly, the homemade ginger ale I make is better, and so is my canned ginger ale of choice (Vernors). My dad was with me and the whole menu was too weird for him. He didn't dig the fresh ginger ale, and he spurned the bao in favor of a rice bowl, which he pronounced okay. Overall, I expected more; I've always had a better meal at other Lettuce Entertain You places, but on the whole, the Bao didn't Wow.
(2)Sue Y.
Wow Bao, can you please come to SF? Warm soft sweet Asian bun with minced fillings kept fresh and steamed for eager patrons, this little franchise had an amazing system. We loved that the soups and liquids came out of the walls, and their system was so efficient. Service came quick and with a smile. Of all their offerings, I personally liked the spicy Kung Pao and Mongolian beef the most. What can I say? Spicy is good. Their chicken thai noodle was pretty good as well. Tasted similar to instant food, but really hit the spot when we were running through the mall. There's also spots to sit above the escalator.
(4)Joseph B.
I used to live right behind the Wao Bao in waterpower, and now I am just a few blocks away, every couple of weeks i get a crazy craving for the custard Bao, I know its been said before by others, I am just here to verify. go get one if you dare.
(4)Jessica Y.
Having grown up a lover of Asian food (I mean hey, I'm Asian!), I was so excited to try this place out! Of course, I was expecting more Americanized versions of these delicious buns, which they were, but hey, I can appreciate a different twist on a classic favorite! There are many options to choose from and they pack them in cute little boxes. It's a bit overpriced, but that's to be expected from downtown Chicago. For authentic bao's, I'd definitely stick with Chinatown! And they're much cheaper too!
(3)Kevin K.
wow bao indeed. little tender, soft buns full of juicy meat marinated in delicious sawces. i love it! i also love the fact that they have different flavors. more sawces the better! the bbq one is the best by far though. also the spicy ones are actually pretty spicy, so if youre not a brave, strong sawce bawss stay away from them. only downside is that they're kinda small, so you have to eat more than one. thats why you buy the six pack! ugh i want some now...
(4)Dora V.
The Thai herb broth is a soul-soothing elixir from the heavens. I fall to my knees in worship of its majesty. Amazingly healthy and cheap (2 bucks!), it's a soup-lover's dream. Always the aspiring chef, I did my due diligence and called corporate, begging for the list of ingredients. The predominant flavors are lemongrass and ginger, but it's ginseng that adds the je ne sais quoi. It'll put pep in your step! The finishing touch is a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Glory! The brilliance of it all. The bao themselves are tasty but they won't make you jump for joy. The salads and bowls of noodles are deceptively bad for you, which is a reminder that it is fast food after all. I skip all that and take two broths to go. In addition to the traditional point-of-sale, there is a futuristic do-it-yourself kiosk which makes for easy ordering, and helps the flow of customers during busy hours. The system is operationally efficient, which is clutch given its small space. Wow Bao is considerably faster and easier to navigate than the labyrinthine food court upstairs, and is absolutely worth a stop. If only there were parking!
(4)Curt L.
I remember when the Water Tower location first opened up....at that time having a place/option for Bao was fantastic. I still feel the same. Hand food is always appreciated when you are on the move. If not into walking and eating grab one of the nook/crannies on the steps going up to the second floor I love the curry chicken. The ginger ale is good....though the grandkids thought that it "tickled their throat" haha! I tried the Fro-Yo....not what I expected. Not even sure what I ordered as the sign showed a ginger flavor with various "sauces". Mine tasted like a lumpy Italian lemon ice??????
(4)Jane Y.
I love the IDEA of wow bao. like the fact they put dishes (mongolian beef and kung pao) in a bao. HOWEVER, this place is WAYYYYY overpriced. you can get a bao that is triple the size in chinatown for less than half the prices. do the math. seriously! But I usually will pick one up if Im at water tower or on free Wednesdays. I just would definitely not buy too many of them as they are super priceyyy
(3)Jessica W.
I used to work pretty close to this location, which was so nice. And it's centrally located for a pre- and/or post-shopping snack. And I'm writing this review, since now that I'm living 2,000 miles away, I sometimes think of this place and really miss it. All their baos are good, especially the whole wheat edamame (so I could pretend I was being healthy) and the thai curry chicken.. and the spicy kung pao chicken... Basically, they're all good. Also, if you follow them on twitter or check their fb page, they constantly have days where you can use "secret words" to get free baos. I LOVE free food! As for the other menu items that I've tried: their salads are alright, but I don't think it's the best value. The ginger ale tastes really gingery. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you reallly like ginger. Also, I prefer the frozen yogurt at other places to Wow Bao's. When I had it with pomegranate syrup, it tasted pretty artificial. Stick to the baos!!
(4)Aboud Y.
Pretty cool concept...the soups and baos are yummy but nothing really outstanding. No comment on the references to porn music (Bao chicka wow wow) and Asian buns.
(3)Jessica V.
Honestly, I don't see anything wow-y about this food or place. Can someone please elighten me. First off, let me say after a long day of walking on Michigan ave. on BLACK FRIDAY all I wanted was some warm filling snacky. Nothing big, just something to tie me over so I can continue to shop. My boyfriend told me to go to Wow Bao because they have these little bao dumpling thingys. Well, ugh after the food I ate at Wow Bao I would rather starve to death. Gross. I give this place two stars because the ingredients they put in the baos aren't the best but they could be better if they tweaked it. I also give two stars because my guy loves this place, but even he had a hard time enjoying our six pack of baos. He normally gets the spicy Kung pao chicken bao and on the busiest shopping day of the year when people are on the move doing their Christmas thang you think they would carry one of their most popular baos, but NO we were told they are out. I called this bad ordering skills or maybe just plain elementary planning skills. Really it's black Friday and you are located in water tower. There's no excuse for this to EVER really happen. Any hooter we had chicken teriyaki and spicy beef Mongolian baos. They were gross. Nasty. I wanted to vomit. And now all I have for this place is word vomit. Why were these so-called delicious creations "gross" you ask. Because it's all dough for one. Dough fills you up nd they are like $2-$3 or so I don't know I don't pay attention to fast food prices cause you get what you pay for. I'm on a tangent... They are doughy and on black Friday they were uncooked dough. You think they could get the one food item they specialize in correct.The filling was okay but there was too much uncooked dough. I'm Asian.... And I couldn't even eat this.
(2)Gene K.
Wow Bao is pretty solid. I totally dig the hot asian buns(nice pun, guys!). The price is decent(about $150 per bao a la carte), and the meal deals are reasonably priced. The potstickers are delish, and the herbal broth is great in cold OR warm weather. Nice bonus is that Wow Bao is owned by Lettuce Entertain You, so thier rewards card is good here.
(4)Barbara P.
I love the baos from here, with their distinct flavors and on-the-go concept. The spicy mongolian beef and thai curry chicken were my favorite, but it doesn't hurt to try them all. But wait, I take that back. It does hurt... for your wallet. 6 normal sized baos for $8.49? Take note that these baos can fit in your palms, and 6 probably will not fill you up. Do yourself a favor, and go buy some at an Asian supermarket. If you do have money to throw away though, you can take two flights of escalators then find the seating area to your right after you get your food.
(3)Shradha A.
I'm a fan of Wow Bao - I'm a very crazy fan of Wow Bao - but I do prefer the one on State/Lake! Their whole wheat edamame bao is my absolute favorite!!
(4)Dalia K.
I am very very surprised at all these positive reviews for Wow Bao. It was recommended to me by an acquaintance who raved about it and I had been wanting to try it for a while so I finally decided to do so this week, only to be extremely disappointed. I wasn't even able to finish my meal - that's how bad it was. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bowl with lo mein noodles and chicken potstickers. First of all, they garnished the bowl with a hefty handful of parsley or cilantro - I can never remember which is which because I hate the flavors of both equally. For me, these garnishes absolutely ruin a dish because unless you want to sit there and pick at your plate for hours, there is no way to remove them all. The flavor was instantly ruined before I even tried it. Secondly, the meat was weird. They were very small (almost minced!) pieces of chicken that were possibly fried, I couldn't tell, and doused in this non-tasty sauce. Don't get me wrong, I am usually a huge fan of Americanized Chinese food, but this was just bad. I honestly couldn't even tell what kind of meat I was eating, or if it was even meat at all. Next came the potstickers. Now, I will provide the disclaimer that this was my first time ever trying potstickers so I can't comment too much about them other than the fact that the chicken mush that was stuffed inside of them was extremely unappealing and displeasing. The soy ginger dipping sauce it came with was just as displeasing to my palate. The only good thing I liked were the lo mein noodles. That's about all I ate before I had to reluctantly dump the rest of the food. And believe me, I hate wasting food but I just couldn't down this stuff. It seems that I must have come at a bad time or something, because the other reviews here rave for this place, but all I know is that I will not be returning here again.
(1)Aimee M.
Hot Asian Buns. There I said it. My cousin couldn't stop saying it without laughing. I don't know if it was just amusing to her or the fact that we had a major retail therapy session along Michigan Avenue and we were giddy from hunger. These are a great on-the-go snacks. I tried the bbq pork and the Thai curry. Both were very good and I liked the flavor. The dough was light and soft, not at all soggy. I was very curious about the bbq pork one because my mom makes a great siaopao (Filipino version of bbq pork steamed buns) and I wanted to compare. The biggest difference I noticed was that Wow Bao's bbq had a hint of spice. I really wanted to try the ginger ale and the sweet ones, ahhh, that will be for next time Wow Bao!
(4)Eri G.
I freakin love this place! I've been to this particular one twice and it is just so urban! I love the ordering system you do not have to wait in line if you dont want. You can order at the kiosk as well. I love the Bao (buns).. These things are so good! Im happy I can order them online now and have them shipped to Cali. I'll be placing my order soon. I cant say that I care for any other food because I am very picky. You have to experience this place if you're in the area shopping!
(5)Ballerinacake S.
Conveniently located right inside the main doors to Water Tower Place, it is this gem! Had the teriyaki chicken bao and the whole wheat edamame bao. Both were delicious and flavorful. I can't believe the only charge $1.79 each. It's the cheapest food you can get that is yummy and quality. The outside just melts in your mouth. The seating area is upstairs. If you are near Water Tower Place, this is a must!
(5)Shalin D.
Instructions on how to get your bao faster: 1. Make yourself streamlined and intrepid! The Mag Mile is notoriously crowded. Chances are you'll say "excuse me" a thousand times as you dodge tourists, strollers, richie riches, street performers, and 13 year old girls wearing way too much eyeliner. Recommendations: keep your shoulders to your side to avoid bumping and walk on the curb near the street. Sure, you might have a fatal run-in with the CTA 151 bus but risk is imminent when procuring your bao. 2. Don't make eye contact! If you're local, chances are you'll run into someone at Water Tower Place. This is where Chicago descends on the weekends and during holidays. If you make eye contact, you might get caught up in a conversation with a colleague, a university buddy, or someone in your canasta club. Don't take the risk. Eye on the prize: bao bao bao. 3. Be ruthless! The kiddies swarm around Wow Bao. Especially during holiday sales and weekends. They stand in big circles comparing their "finds" from Forever 21 and H&M (which is, unfortunately, across the street). If they get in your way, don't be afraid of a little hip-check action or a slight hockey shove. And, don't worry, they're teenagers: they have strong bones and their parents' health insurance. Remember: EYE ON THE PRIZE. 4. Don't distract others! Idle shoppers are notorious for initiating small talk while standing in line. While this can be a good time filler, it also slows up the ordering process. Imagine this: you and X are engaged in a conversation about tweed blazers on sale at Banana. They're next in line but they spend 5 minutes closing the conversation before they order. That's five minutes between you and your bao. Do you want to risk it? No. Didn't think so. 5. Know what you want! This is a given. Read the menu beforehand. Engage in some introspection as you walk to Wow Bao and KNOW what you want. When you get there, you'll be ready to bark out your order. To paraphrase a 14 year old Brooke Shields: nothing gets between me and my bao.
(5)Mandy N.
Every time I visti Chicago, I have to go here. It is very good. I wish the bun were bigger so it wouldn't be too pricy for just one bun. The mongolian beef is good, it is spicy and I love spicy food. The BBQ pork was way too sweet but that is not too surprising for oriental food in America. The Thai curry chicken is so so. Anyway, love it. Everybody should try !!!!!!!
(4)Laura S.
Oh. My. God. Fast food steamed pork buns. For $1.65. How do I get someone to open a franchise in Philadelphia? Can I move to Chicago? Who is the brilliant individual who came up with this idea !? I doff my hat to you, sir, I doff my hat.
(5)Christina B.
I've really embraced Wow Bao since my first review... I've recently lost quite a bit of weight and my eating habits have changed. I now like wow bao when I have a taste for Chinese food but know I couldn't handle an entire order of it. The bao is a perfect portion for just a taste of asian cuisine! Also, their Twitter page is one of the more hilarious ones to follow...and they do various promotions via the twitter account--I won tickets to Cirque Shanghai just for re-tweeting something of theirs! In the words of their twitter page: "bao-wow-wow-yippy-yo-yippie-yay!"
(5)Mary B.
Yum I love some hot asian buns... I've had the spicy mongolian beef, it's definitely spicy, but delish, and the thai curry chicken equally yummy. Great to eat when you're on the go and nice on your wallet too! I'm craving some right now just thinking about them!
(4)Tiffany L.
Ah bao. A favorite of mine to snack on, especially when my dad makes them from scratch. With that said, this place is not reminiscent of my childhood faves, HOWEVER, I still enjoy it. The fillings are flavorful and the bun soft and warm, perfection. I love how the BBQ Pork is full of cilantro flavor. The Mongolian Beef and Kung Pao Chicken are filled with too much ginger for my tastes. For dessert, try the Coconut Cream bao -- it's yummy! Though it's a little on the expensive side (yes it reflects LEYE prices), it's worth trying at least once. Get the 6-pack for a better deal and split em with a friend. I'll end with this. My uncle-in-law from one of my favorite food cities, Vancouver, visited Chicago and didn't get to try a Chicago-style hot dog because he was TOO BUSY EATING AT WOW BAO. True story.
(4)Jenny L.
Wow Bao, I never knew you existed before but I already wish I had met you earlier... These little buns were quite a treat while roaming North Michigan Avenue. The curry and kung pau were delightful. Warm, soft buns and option for meat or veggie filling. Ordered the 6 pack to get a varied selection. Not a big fan of the BBQ as it was somewhat too sweet. Ginger ale was too ginger-y Friendly staff Would be great to have as a quick no mess lunch
(4)Emily H.
I spend a little too much time at this Wow Bao. Their Mongolian beef bao is great, so is the Kung Pao chicken. I just wish the latter came without peanuts (although it might, I've never asked). The chocolate bao is PERFECT for a chocolate craving. Just be careful because it might explode out the bottom and stain your blue sweater.... just sayin'.
(4)Darren F.
every time i shop at water tower place, i always come here and grab a few Bao. i have tried a few different kind and they are just OK. my favorite one is the coconut custard boa, its sweet and it taste just right. the BBQ pork is decent, but its no where as good as the ones from the Chinatown bakeries. Ive also tried the chicken teriyaki, Kung pao, thai curry, and mongolian beef... i think they are trying a little too hard with these combinations, its just too much. i do think wow boa is over hyped and kind of pricey for boas but i will still return and buy some coconut custard boa whenever I'm shopping at water tower place again.
(3)Saira K.
A is a steamed bun with different fillings. I like the whole wheat edamame bao. The texture of the dough is just perfect. Sometimes on the facebook page, they have a secret saying that will get you a free bao. Fun!
(4)Dan D.
The buns, the buns - come for the buns! Had the buns and chicken teriyaki on quinoa. The teriyaki was ok. The buns were great. Also tried the homemade ginger ale and ice cream. I'd recommend skipping both. But the buns, the buns, go for the buns. Word of warning: There is no seating AT ALL. You have to take it outside if you want to sit and eat. Also, you need to order yourself at the touch screen to the right of the restaurant.
(4)Ritika K.
I am a big fan of wow bao and my favorite is spicy mongolian beef. Their soups and all other bao flavors are good too. I don't think twice before stopping here for a quick bite.
(4)Patty T.
Wow indeed! I wanna call myself a bao expert growing up eating a lot of bao-s and I think Wow bao is one serious bao shop! I am impressed. Freshly steamed buns in very creative fillings. I am vegetarian and miss having yummy veggie baos. I love the edamame wholewheat, the coconut custard bun and the chocolate banana bun. nom nom nom. Oh, wash it down with the homemade lemonade or ginger ale. Real good stuff. The only complaint I have is the dough is slightly too thick for my liking. Would have loved a little more stuffing and a little less dough but it's good regardless!
(4)Erica S.
Wow Bao, you didn't wow me. I was having a particularly wonderful Thursday: my boyfriend was buying me Lady GaGa tickets, I saw This Is It the Michael Jackson documentary and I had finished all of my homework before going to class. And I was trying Wow Bao for the first time. I was excited. My roommate raved about how much she loved Wow Bao so I was pumped to try something that she likes so much. I ordered from the touch screen kiosk things because I like to touch things and can save my interaction with people for when I have to go in actual restaurants or bars. Because I had never tried Wow Bao, I wanted to taste every bao I could have. So I ordered the six pack because hey-I like variety, I've got a steel stomach and I was READY to be wowed. Eh. not so much. the first bao I tried was the mongolian beef. I bit into it and thought "mmm tasty." At first bite, these are delicious little things. Then I ate the second one, bbq pork, and thought "still delicious, too much bread." The third one I ate half of, and then used my fork to scrape out the inside filling. For the rest of them (except the whole wheat edamame) I did the same. All in all, it was too much breading and not enough filling. I went into wow bao thinking that it was going to be a light dough that had been steamed, not this heavy bread type of thing that I would get tired of half way through. I was disappointed, but now I knew what the deal was. I will say that the one bright, shining start out of the bunch was the whole wheat edamame. The inside filling is DELICIOUS and the outside dough was better than the plain dough. If I had gotten six of these, I'm sure I would have eaten at least three. I took issues with the dough, as we already know, but my classmate and I soon found out that it is made with milk. Why? There are plenty of ways to make dough without milk and it's not like this is a pie crust. It kind of doesn't mean it. All in all, will I go back? Yes. Will I order 6 bao? No. At most, I'll order two and get a side salad and a ginger ale. I got a ginger ale but it stopped tasting gingery after I ate the bao. Which is sad, because I love ginger ale.
(2)Angela D.
A bit pricey but the custard bao are to die for!
(4)Shauen P.
Um-um-um! Where did you get those buns from! For a quick and filling snack packed with deliciousness Wow Bao is a must have. You can pay at their machines if the line is way to long at the counter, you can get a variety of boas and best of all -there is DESERT! Some locations have more items on the menu so why not do a little WOW BOA hop in the city?
(4)Anna V.
I love their baos!!! My favorite is BBQ pork - for those ordering the spicy ones it is spicy! The Ginger ale was a disappointment tasted like I took a Ginger & bite into it - Nasty!!! They have frozen ones that you can heat up yourself for later however the price is the same as the regular ones :-( But all the baos are good just depends what u are in the mood for
(4)Jenny L.
After a few hours shopping in the Water Tower Place, we decided to grab a snack at Wow Bao. We got a six-pack of baos with one each of teriyaki chicken, spicy kung pao chicken, thai curry chicken, spicy mongolian beef, and the BBQ pork. Having grown up on homemade baos and the best dim sum places of Southern California, I didn't have high expectations for these baos. But I was pleasantly surprised with the authenticity of the flavors of the filling and enjoyed all of them except the kung pao (not a fan of chestnuts) and the BBQ pork (just doesn't compare). My only other complaint was that the buns tasted frozen, not fresh, which really effects the texture of the outside of the buns. Definitely not bad for a food court type of place tho.
(3)Michael V.
I am a huge fan of Asian food and seeing this chain spread across Chicago is very cool. The Baos are good. They have a wide variety of flavours that really expands the experience of baos. To be honest with you, those baos jump in to my mouth. They are very tasty. They are a good introduction to Dim Sum. Their other dishes like the rice bowls are good as well. Check it out.
(4)Robin W.
Listen man....you know how like, when you eat a bread bowl, and you finish, that's it? Or like, when you eat an apple, you're happy that your meal fits in your hand? Well, check this...man...its a bao...its like an apple sized dumpling filled with delicious hot asian cuisine and when you're done...that's it! Yea man, Im psyched about this..its delish. I'm pretty confident that the vegetarian options are vegan, and pretty healthy. The dumplin bun is made of wheat and filled with like, sweet sauced edamame, or spicy sauced eggplant, and you want to eat like 6 of them right away. Man.
(5)Ashley P.
I want to make out with these little steamed buns of heavenly delight. It's impossible for me to walk by any of their locations without popping in to at least get one, usually the teriyaki chicken or thai curry chicken. The first bite gets you warmed up, usually no ingredients yet just the warm bun melting in your mouth...and then the second bite comes along and it's a jackpot of flavor in your mouth. And then the makeout session starts and before I know it I'm trying to eat my fingers. Bao chicka bao wow!
(5)Jenn P.
Wow Bao gets a "Wow!" from me. I was skeptical at first because Americanized Asian food typically does not taste very good but these little steamed buns were great! Asian buns can be oversized with excessive amounts of dough-very easy to get sick of, but these were just right! They are steamed on little papers with their names so there's no confusion as to which is which. I'd recommend the spicy mongolian beef and the thai chicken curry for something entree like and the coconut custard for something dessert like. I would however advise against the bbq pork because I think the original Asian style is best. They make a perfect little snack for strolling Magnificent Mile. Also worth trying are the their teas/drinks. The buns are available to purchase individually at $1.39/bun or $7.99/half dozen. You can even buy them frozen to steam at home. Save your receipts because they have discount/coupons for future purchases!
(4)alan q.
Good place to grab a quick snack. The bao's aren't very big and a little expensive for the size ($1.50). Of course it's not quite like the traditional bao's that you get in Chinatowns or the ones your mom might make, but don't think you can expect that from a place like this. This place serves a different target audience...a wider one than. With that, I think it's a pretty solid place for a quick snack or lunch.
(3)Sam K.
Wow Bao is good, but it could easily be soooo much better. Why the hell don't they have any good sauces to eat with their bao? Isn't that standard when you buy bao anywhere else in the world? They have some basic chili water-oil gunk and ginger something and soy crapsterville sauce. They could have that Korean sweet hot sauce which is like three cents a barrel, and something like that would be perfect. I just don't get it. The other problem is their vegetarian options. They exist, but why on earth aren't they seasoned? I've gotten the soybean bao and the green vegetbale bao, and each just tasted like vegetables and bread with no flavor whatsoever. However, the chicken teriyaki bao are good. Not too original, but quick and satisfying. And I like how this place serves meals on steamed cabbage, too - I love it. The food is hot and satisfying and, depending on what you get, generally healthy. Great fast food. Really affordable and nourishing. It just really bothers me that they could improve the quality with just a sprinkle of seasoning. Everything there just really needs more flavor. Also, this particular location is always out of an item when I go there.
(4)Rich T.
These things are highly craveable. They're also relatively healthy, too, which is always nice. A total tourist spot, but hey, good is good, right?
(5)Amy S.
I just love little hot asian buns!!! I love the whole wheat edamame and kung pao chicken baos. I now love the the asian veggie salad (it used to have too much cilantro for my taste and they premade the salads, so they couldn't even take it out). It has this mustardy soy wasabi kind of dressing on it and it's sooo good. Good prices and good quality. I even love to buy frozen baos and take them home and eat them for dinner!
(4)Abagail W.
Grrosssssss! This place is not good. Maybe I'm spoiled from eating authentic steamed buns but these weren't edible. Think tasteless undercooked dough and saucey meat. Yuck
(1)Gene W.
I have a deep, physical, heroin-withdrawal reaction when I think of Wow Bao. I get confused and lost trying to think of more reasons to venture into that neighborhood just to have an excuse to drop by Wow Bao. I feel like a schmuck conning friends into going all the way down there with me to visit, essentially, a food stand, but man is it worth it. The Kung Pao Chicken and Mongolian Beef baos are great, but nothing compares to the Thai Curry Chicken bao. Yeah, I love the spicy stuff. It's the perfect balance of flavors- the tender chicken, the spicy curry, all packed in a little snowball of dough. Why doesn't more food come in bao form? Imagine how much the world would save of silverware costs! I really need to start buying the six packs of frozen baos. I'm sure they don't taste the same, but it's got to be better than most of what I eat. As a total afterthought, the homemade pomegranate ginger ale is amazing, and it's rhaspy coolness is a great compliment to the spicier baos. Ok, it's decided, I'm calling off work and running down to Wow Bao.
(5)Michael M.
I might have come on a bad day but I had an unenjoyable experience. I ordered two baos (thai curry chicken and bbq pork) and a spicy peanut noodle salad. For less than 7 bucks the price was certainly nice. I started with the baos and, unfortunately, could not eat more than a third of each. Each bao was roughly 80% breading which in this case was a seemingly undercooked, very doughy exterior. The filling that did exist, for both the chicken and pork, had a rubbery texture that generally comes from sitting in a steamer or heater in order to stay warm after the meat has been cooked. The spicy peanut noodle salad was actually very good. I might consider going back to get those noodles but the baos upon which the restaurant is named were definitely a no go for me.
(1)Tricia C.
A great afternoon snack or lunch to fuel your shopping or sightseeing. Cheap, fresh, fast, really tasty. There's some seating upstairs if you want to sit and eat. They've even got nutrition info available online, which I always appreciate.
(5)Mike S.
why dont you have more loactions?!?!?!?! i love this place - have never been let down. normally go with a few bao's and a teriyaki chicken bowl. i have tried every type of bao over the years and my recent favorite is the coconut. save for last because it is a treat. normally i go to the wao bao off state in the north loop. was shopping near water tower so grabbed dinner here last week - if you "dine in" go to the second floor to the side of the elevators. the seating is pretty basic but makes for a nice meal in a good setting.
(4)Springheeled J.
Enh. It wasn't bad. I admit I'm a little surprised to see the universally glowing reviews of Wow Bao here -- Yelp reviewers can be really damn picky and I'm really damn not. I might've gone on a bad day, but in short it was gentrified Asian food that substituted a clever premise, shiny touch screens and excellent marketing for -- err, decent food. It was undercooked and the fillings were strange. However, I will say that I am entirely the target audience for this kind of gentrified marketing, so I am STILL tempted to go back to Wow Bao -- just like I'm lured back to PF Chang's despite their frequent tithes to the Church of Sodium. Wow Bao definitely strikes a chord with gullible yuppies like me. If you're a gullible yuppie, fascination may be inevitable.
(2)Ronnie C.
Oh-em-gee. I stayed nearby in the Drake Hotel recently and I had pretty much all of my meals from Wow Bao. Yes, partly because I was too lazy to find other things, but also because it was really good. I only had the meat filled baos (vegetables can't suffer and thus don't taste as delicious) but they were all pretty good. Not great, but decent and tasty. The real reason for this review is the HOT SWEET GINGER TEA. Did you get that? I hope so, because you are a nincompoop if you don't try it. It's the most delicious tea ever and try as I might, I can't figure out how to make it at home. It's sweet, but with that subtly spicy ginger kick. A great treat in Chicago, in November weather.
(4)Lilly D.
I've been here many times over the past year while working in the north Loop, and it's definitely a top pick for lunch at work. Three stars for a few problems that keep coming up, however. The dessert baos (right now Coconut Custard and Chocolate-Ginger-Coconut) consistently are soggy on at least one side, which is quite unappetizing - though when you scrape off the offending area, it's still delicious! I also keep wanting the drinks to be better, but they inevitably come down to a syrupy add-in. Positives, though, and there are many! The Thai Curry Chicken is still superb (or so my friend confirms, I haven't had one since I went vegan), as is the Whole Wheat Edamame. I am not even an edamame girl and I love those. And the filling in the Chocolate-Ginger bao is just heavenly -- just the right balance between the flavors. Overall, definitely stop by and check them out.
(3)jenise r.
I love Bao, and the chicken curry one here is so good! OMG. I wish I could have them all the time. Yea I know its so Americanized from the ones in Chinatown. But still oh so good.
(4)Jules D.
I always make Wow Bao a shopping snack stop...before heading into Lush! On the postivie + + Tried the BBQ pork, spicy mongolian beef, teriyaki chicken, and thai curry chicken many times...all very tasty. Need for improvement - + put some out in the suburbs :)
(4)Katie H.
Warm doughy goodness! I finally tried this place and will definately be back. I had a chicken teryaki bao and my husband has the chicken curry. One was a filling snack and I think 2 would make a great , and really cheap lunch. One complaint is that I'm really picky so I wish that all the ingredients were listed. I appreciate that the nutritional info is posted online and at 160 calories each, the baos are a good low-calorie option. The pomengranite ginger ale was fantastic!
(4)Susan J.
Saw this little shop outside Water Tower Place when I was exploring the mall while killing time waiting for a friend. This is my first time in Chicago for a business trip and I got...what? Asian street food in the front of a yuppy looking mall? No way...and baos filled with yummy fillings like Thai Chicken Curry or Terriyaki Chicken or Kung Pao Chicken? I knew I had to go and grab some baos before I left for O'hare the next morning. So, at 1030 right before catching my taxi from the Drake Hotel I did a little speedwalking to Wow Bao and ordered the 2 bao and salad special for $5.99. I like the electronic ordering kiosk for the food. I got the Terriyaki Chix and the Thai Chicken Curry with the Peanut Noodles. The baos were nice and warm, but I wanted to wait to eat them at the airport. Omg, these were very yummy. The 4" diameter bun: bread was light, delicate, slightly sweet and the way real bao's are supposed to be. The filling is different than what I'm used to, Char Siu or Chicken, but it was super delicious! The peanut noodles were lo mein noodles with a bit of cucumber shreds and some cilantro, but the dressing was in a little container so it's mix as much as you want; peanut and slightly spicy. Why can't they have these franchises in D.C.? Loved it!
(4)Monica M.
Gross! Cold noodles and uncooked buns. Couldn't finish it
(1)Jonathan A.
I love baos. The only problem is that i eat them so fast, by the time I finish them, I realize I've had too many. If you get the variety six-pack, it's like getting a sampling of Asian meals in finger food form. You can also pick up frozen packs for home which are just about as good. It took me forever before I realized this wasn't just a fast food Chinese place in a mall. The location in the Loop is better because it has breakfast baos and tables for dining. And is generally faster.
(4)Kacie M.
When you're shopping in the near north side, there is no better place to go to for a cheap lunch. I don't actually like the bao as much as I like their rice bowls. YUM. The Bao is sorta a side treat if I feel like it. For a fast bite to eat, it's awesome.
(4)Kathleen M.
Wow Bao is awesome. We seriously need to get this place in DC! It's quick, CHEAP, and oh-so-tasty. Not too bad for you, either. The edamame bao is awesome and the pad thai salad is really good, too. Everything is in smaller portions so it's perfect for a snack or you can get a couple of things for a full meal. Everything is fresh and has great flavor. If there was a Wow Bao near my office in DC I think I would honestly eat there every day. I love me some hot asian buns!
(5)Kelly A.
Had some time to kill before a movie so I did some shopping in Water Tower and decided to grab some dinner at Wao Bao. I got the thai chicken curry and spicy mongolian beef and they were ready fast and steaming hot. My total was around $4.30 for 2 bao and a coke. I grabbed the bao and went upstairs to their seating area and read my book while eating the delicious bao. The baos themselves are pretty amazing - smaller than I thought, but warm and doughy with delicious insides (spicy mongolian beef was also plenty spicy, hooray!). They are simple and easy to eat with one hand, no problem. 2 baos were perfect for a light dinner, though if you're really hungry I might suggest getting the combo. One bao would be perfect for when you're hungry and don't want to eat a 500 calorie pretzel (however delicious it may be...).
(4)Tony S.
This place is new to me, I fell across it meeting a friend. I love it as its cheap, fast, tasty and good for you. I normally have the spice chicken thing which normally comes with rice but instead I take the cabbage. Not only is this saving you oodles of calories but it will probably make you fart for the rest of the day so be warned. Vegetables come with a price which is normally gas!!! Still I have never let that stop me in the past, as I loooove cabbage and vegetables in general. If I am heading home late morning after a serious workout I will normally stop here for the chicken spicy thing with cabbage. I mean come on its only $4.50ish a complete bargain from where I am from (London). I Have to say though vegetables are extortionately priced in Chicago which is really surprising to me. I mean $3.99 for apound of tomatoes what is that about, I could fly home for that. I just came from Luxembourg but Chicago beats Lux and London hands down for the cost of fresh veg. Still luckily there are loads of other things which are dead cheap, I love it here. Another digression. So nice place, its local, I can't compare it to anywhere else as I have only just moved here but I love it!
(4)Yan M.
We were in a hurry before our river cruise hence we made a quick dash for Baos and ordered the 2 bao combo with vege salad. not too crazy about the Vege salad since it was bland and a lil Uneventful but the Baos were pretty good. It's pricey at $1.35 per bun but then again I pay $2 for a chicken bun at Out the Door in San Francisco and $0.90 at a Chinese bakery place for a really good BBQ pork bun so I would say I don't mind splurging every now and then, if it befits the moment. :P The green curry bun was definitely different but yet tasty and the BBQ pork bun was equally tasty and love the texture of the flour. YUM!
(4)David B.
tasty, quick, fast! Really nice first visit and would like to try again.
(3)Jamie K.
Geepers, friend, I'm hungry. What do you want? I don't know but I'm about to tear the face off the next person who asks me for directions or change. Hmmmm.....we'd better get some food into you STAT! Ugh, I don't want to spend $30 on a snack and I'm just getting angrier at the world by the millisecond.... . This place? No. That place? No, did it yesterday... . How ' bout Bao? Wow!
(3)Dolly V.
Oh. My. Goodness. This is my new favorite lunch spot in downtown!! I love their baos! I tried the BBQ Pork Bao, Thai Curry Chicken Bao and their Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Rice Bowls. Everything was hot, fresh and flavorful. My favorite was the Thai Curry Chicken Bao - I'm day dreaming about it already! This beats any other fast food asian joint around. I'll have to come back again for their potstickers and fresh ginger ale. Yum!
(4)Brandi W.
This was the first ever location of Wow bao that I had gone to and usually just ignored it when shopping at the Water Tower Place, but one afternoon I decided to get my lunch to go and was amazed. The food was proportioned just right, the Bao's were tasty and I have to say, though I love traditional chinese, I was not disappointed at all! When you order the Spicy Mongolian beef have some Tums handy!!! It does have some heat to it. I also love the cury chicken bao and the coconut custard bao!!!
(5)Kim B.
Wow Bao was a surprising treat! I stopped by after doing some shopping at the Water Tower & picked up a delicious chicken curry bao and some fresh pomegranate ginger ale. Not only was the bao yummy & the ginger ale delicious, but everything was reasonably priced. A very pleasant surprise for a usually very "touristy" area of town. I definitely want to go back to try the other types of baos and dishes at the Loop location. They also have iced chai and hibiscus iced tea that sound awesome!
(4)David G.
Every time I am in Chicago, I look to stop by Wow Bao. They need one of these in Cincinnati! I've tried all of the buns, and they are all good. I particularly like the spicy Mongolian beef and spicy kung pao chicken. A few of these with the pomergranite ginger ale always hits the spot for me. The only challenge someone may have is seating as you then have to go up to the food court seating area, or go out to the street (in warmer weather). I've also enjoyed the potstickers and bowls, but always come back to get my buns steamed!
(4)Stacey P.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place! When I first heard mumblings of it opening I was way excited. I *love* bao and everyone knows it. Infact, my favorite thing to eat in Hawaii is the hawaiian version.... manapua. Anyhow, I think wow bao is such a great idea. Expose busy city folk and tourists to yummy chinese buns! LEYE did a good job with the flavors, although they are americanized they taste darn good. Favorites: Thai curry, teriyaki, and kung pao. I also LOVE their fresh gingerale and often come just for that. Add pomegranate flavoring and get a super refreshing summer drink. A little factlet: years ago I wrote the owners of Wow Bao a letter telling them that they should have certain flavors (I suggested Pizza, Sweet potato, custard, etc.) as they do in hawaii. I got no response... BUT Yesterday when I stopped by wow bao, I noticed they are sporting a new custard dessert bao. I was so excited as I have made the assumption that this new development was ALL because of my letter sent roughly 3 years ago (^.^). You can thank me in bao. ;)
(4)Dani C.
Wow bao didn't wow me. Came all the way from MN just to check this place out, what a disappointment! First of all, the cost.. 1.50 a bun? I can buy more at an Asian grocery store. Second, the bun was rather tasteless. It tasted like it has been frozen and re-steamed. I made meat buns myself, I can't brag much of my own cooking, but I can df say I make better buns. Third, the fillings. I am not impressed. I tried five different baos, teriyaki was my favorite. Only one out of five buns, that says lots. Finally, I have to comment on the size of the baos. They are so tiny. I am barely comfortably full after consuming five baos... But one compliment I have to give to wow bao is that it has inspired me to make better meat bun once I get back to MN. :p
(1)Jacob C.
Guys, Please I repeat PLEASE do not listen to the bad reviews. This place is the schnitzel! It is a little overpriced but definately the cheapest for its quality in that area, I mean come on guys, how much is rent in WATER TOWER PLACE??? They have to make SOME profit. I recommend you try their steamed buns at first, maybe a six pack'll do, despite the weather I still think you should also try their pomegranate-ginger tea it is de-li-cious if you come here a second time I recommend you have their teriyaki chicken rice bowl and their hot ginger tea. They have a larger location just south of the river on State head over there if you want some more options.
(5)Diana J.
Very cute concept. A restaurant where you can buy fast food dim sum variations of Chinese 'bao'. Aside from the fact that it cost freaken $1.34 for one tiny bao, this place could have been priced reasonably... like 50 cents instead but it decided to inflate the cost. Nonetheless, I tried the Thai Curry Chicken & Mongolian Beef bao. Both were very good, the meat was tender and it was flavorful. If they could pump the boa with more filling, increase the size & drop the price .... this place would be on its way to 5 stars.
(3)Joe T.
I tried a couple of these little steamed buns and was less than wowed. Maybe I will try them again the next time I find myself at Water Tower Place. In other words, I will probably never try them again..
(2)Jun H.
We got the munchies before heading off to the Drury Lane Theater for a showing of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. While stopping by the Water Tower for a quick shopping trip, we spotted Wow Bao. It's a little stand, reminiscent of those found in a food court, and offers a different take on the traditional Chinese buns that are usually filled with BBQ pork. Behind the glass sat big silver steamers filled with a variety of buns. For a healthier snack, I shared the whole wheat edamame and vegetable bun with a friend. The wheat bun was warm and soft, and the taste of wheat was inviting. The fillings were piping hot with a vegetable mix and little rounds of edamame. The buns are rather small for the price you pay (1.29 for one). You can definitely find buns for much cheaper at a Chinese store, but you probably won't be able to find them in all these different flavors (teriyaki chicken, spicy kung pao chicken, etc.).
(3)Will K.
Keeps getting better... Dang, I love me some Wow Bao.. The food, the lemonade, the staff, the decor.. any complaints?? not from me.. Well except that you can't get them in Cleveland maybe.. I've gone to Wow Bao a few times now, previous visit then 2-3 times during my most recent trip. The food is always great, seems very fresh, and tastes delish. I'm not the most adventurous eater, but this place makes me wanna start trying more and more new places.
(5)Joe E.
Located at the bottom of Water Tower Place Mall, Wow Bao is one of the first stores you see if you come through the main entrance. This prime location always makes them busy, with people lined up and others using their self service touch screen monitors. Their specialty is obviously the Asian bun or bao which is a white flour based bread that encases some kind of meat, vegetable, or sweet filling. Overall, the baos at Wow Bao are very flavorful and packed with a generous helping of the specified filling. Unfortunately, they are expensive, not very filling (unless you order a lot), and their other options (bowls, etc) are more time consuming to make (especially on a quick lunch break). The expensiveness coupled with the almost non-existent seating, except for a couple two-person tables located in the mall, made me give them a just above average rating. The quality and taste are awesome for a "better-than-fast-food" place, but I would stick to my Chinatown restaurants before heading here. I gave them a 3.5 / 5.0 rating but cant do half stars on here.
(3)Jasen K.
Wow Bao turned out to be a neat little place to get some hot Asian buns. The fresh smell of Bao being steamed instantly brought me back to the times when I was in China and Taiwan. Upon entering, the place was definitely very eye catching, and everything was very stream-lined and efficient, very Asian-like. They even have a fork dispensing machine! It fascinated me, pulling a lever to dispense a fork. Very cool. Anyways, back to food. They've got all kinds of flavors for Bao, even a chocolate one! (I'll have to maybe try that next time). After ordering, I was a bit disappointed with the size of the Bao when it arrived. I thought it could be much bigger, I'm more accustomed to the bigger ones found in China-town. Food was good, nothing amazing, however definitely a neat little place to go for a light lunch.
(3)Boon K.
When you shopping all day and need a quick snack, these americanize bao are pretty good. I like the kung pao because of the peanuts and spicy but I was hooked for a while on their pad thai salad. It was so tasty and I really wish I came up with that idea.
(4)Clif P.
I give Wow Bao 4 due to how cheap an quick it is to grab a Bao bun. For a buck fifty (1.50+tax) you can quickly order one, and get it within a minute. They also have a kiosk if you have a credit card, which usually has a shorter line. Overall, most Bao's taste really good. For vegetarians, there are a few options, but it isn't as vast as it could be (note to executive chef: add more vegetarian options). I have had their salads before, and they were only okay. I supposed I think of Wow Bao as more of a snack than a place to get a meal. Snack only = 4 stars! Meal = 2 stars.
(4)Cate W.
I really miss the bao. I'm sure metro Detroit has something resembling hot Asian buns here (you know, dumplings)--it does me no good though, because I have yet to find them and it gets me a'yearning for Wow Bao's bao. Specifically the Thai Curry Chicken bao, which I could eat 2-3 of very quickly and then feel too full. You buy the bao singly or in six packs, and I know they do dessert bao and breakfast bao, but we haven't tried those. My husband's favorites are the Teriyaki Chicken and the BBQ Pork, and he also has a thing for their homemade ginger ale, which has a spicy kick to it (a little too much of a kick to be my favorite, but he does reminisce). Flavors can be mixed up, so 2 Thai chicken, 1 teriyaki, and 3 BBQ, etc. One sixer will feed two adults with medium sized appetites. The bao expand in your stomach! The price is good for a cheap supper before a movie or event downtown, one of the rare places we found in the loop that fed us cheaply and left us full and happy. Seating at this location is pretty tight, and it's more fast food style seating than anything else, but it's clean, friendly, and fast. We miss it.
(4)Christopher G.
I am a man who avoids McDonald, Subway, Buger King and the like. I never get a philly cheesecake at the mall, nor do I buy one of those Chinese like dishes. I figure in this world my greatest enemy is calories, not money, so I want to blow my calories on good food. Wow Bao fits the bill exactly though. Its a unique restaurant owned by "Lettuce Entertain you." Kind of Ironic that Gale Gand's Tru is owned by the same company as this place. . . but they do have something in common, unique and good food. Have you ever eaten at a Chinese food restaurant and ordered the steamed pork buns? Or what about Dim Sum on a Sunday morning? If so you have come across a version of Wao Bao's fare. A selection of steamed buns stuffed with all kinds of goodness. Steaming the dumplings do make them look a little weird (all soft and smooth) but they taste great. I found some of the stuffings a little better than some of the other ones. I can't remember the choices off the top of my head (a Mongolian curry did pop to mind). I would put wow Bao up there with Kolache Factory as a great purveyor of fast hand held artisan food.
(4)Jessica T.
So I am giving this 4 stars given price... I was visiting Chicago on a business trip. I had not had much of a lunch and wanted a snack. While my coworkers kept shopping, I finished shopping early and ordered from the kiosk. I decided to get 3 so I could try a few different flavors. I got the BBQ Pork, the Teriyaki Chicken and the Spicy Mongolian Beef. I also got the pomegranate ginger ale. First if you have never had buns like these they are basically a soft dough that is filled with chopped meat and sauce and then steamed. So they are tender, fluffy and a bit chewy. 3 would be filling as a lunch for a woman, but for a bigger appetite I would say go for 5. I tried all three... and BBQ Pork was by far my favorite. The meat was chewier than I expected but diced small and very tasty. The chicken was just okay. I think the sauce was too sweet and overpowering and meat not what I expected. I didn't really care for the mongolian beef, but I think at that point, I really just wanted more of the pork! The homemade ginger ale is not really like Canada Dry. It has a much more distinct ginger flavor. I was glad I tried it, but its not something I really wanted to drink a big glass of. I would try again... hopefully at one of the bigger locations.
(4)Peter G.
Like any fast food the bao here are strangely irresistible - I know that they aren't great, but I get them anyway because they're good in a way. Satisfies the craving, the dough is good- steamed rice flour is a no brainer, the different fillings are either too goopy, sweet, or something. The fresh ginger ale is really good.
(3)Erika G.
You're kidding right? People LIKE this place? I'm calling it "Wow, Bao-ring!" Popped in here for some soup today for a snack. Hot n' Sour soup, one of my favorite things, and the barometer by which all Asian restaurants are judged, IMNERHO*. If you've got a good hot n' sour soup, you've got me at "hot" and you've got me for life. I'll come back for more and shamelessly beg for it. Ordered said sour soup, and due to their needlessly complicated ordering procedure, almost ended up with a cup of broth. No. Hot n' Sour soup is supposed to be fillled with goodness, lots of tangy vegetables, weird mushrooms, maybe pork or chicken. Savory, tangy HOT. This was neither (spicy) hot NOR sour. Their version is a virtually tasteless broth, which is served searing (temperature) hot, immediately burning my tender mouth. Minus points. Undercooked vegetables sprinkled on top. Lettuce?! Really!? Onions . . . okay, maybe, but the ultimate sin was the dearth of mushrooms or that weird yet strangely delicious Chinese "fungus" ingredient that is in ALL hot n' sour soup. A couple of limp bean sprouts, and a smattering of noodles. Humpf. Underwhelming. The guys behind the counter were charming enough, and seemed apologetic about their strangely complicated ordering procedure. I don't want to have to be the crazy lady that gets up to the cashier and then has to figure out how to order what I want. The tables - up two flights of escalators was out of the way, and not good for people watching. They need to put a stand up hot dog joint in this space. Wow Bao-ring is just not doing it. I think I live too close to Argyle - and a not so far L ride from Chinatown - to be impressed with this place, 'cos this gringo girl knows the real Asian deal, and it's not the WB. This place wasn't nearly dirty or dingy enough to be good. * In My Never Even Remotely Humble Opinion
(1)Jeff K.
Nothing too exceptional, but the food is fast and inexpensive. I had the bao and potstickers both of which were well prepared and well-flavored. The place was fairly busy, but I still had my food within five minutes of entering.
(4)Peter S.
Good concept, but some of the more unusual offerings (edamame baos) can be somewhat lacking in flavor. The curry peanut bao is passable, and the teas are a good concept but can be overly sweet depending on what you get. I appreciate the healthy concept that the restaurant is trying to capture, but I feel like the execution is somewhat lacking. Nevertheless, trying to find a healthy eat on Michigan Ave. after 8PM whittles down the options to Whole Foods or this place. I would go back in a pinch, but it wouldn't be on my regular list of places to go in Chicago.
(2)Daniel F.
I somehow never tried Wao Bao until today. DISGUSTING... Why would I pay 8 bucks for three soggy dumplings (which cost like 15 cents a piece at a grocery store in Chinatown, and taste better), stuffed with half a teaspoon of Manwich meat? HEINOUS. And that weak salad on the side? Like, oh!, is that supposed to create the illusion that this meal was worth the money? Hell no, that's just some cheap cabbage with an even cheaper sauce. This place reminds me of like some bleak future where food is scarce and we have to eat little shi*ty dumpling balls that were frozen decades ago... like that restaurant in Bladerunner but worse...
(1)Kristen T.
WOW BAO I LOVE YOU I love you so much I actually do order your express fed ex baos so I can taste happiness despite living in Minnesota.
(5)Alissa A.
Hot buns desire more meat in them. Please stuff my buns! Yes, you read correctly, these babies need more filling for that hot (bao wow!) bun satisfaction. Mongolian beef satisfies while the skimpy bits of kung pao chicken leave you fondling more of a bun than a bao with wow. The whole wheat edamame and veg was happily wheaty but overwhelmed by the broccoli, green like edamame, but you can't fool me when a veg bao evokes notes of cream of broccoli soup. Flavorful snacks indeed but certainly the bun to filling ratio is too high. ...and when winter is in full blast in the city, the thai herb broth warms you up, inside out. Drink from a to-go cup and it's like sipping tea, salty tea but savory and satisfying.
(3)Sandra G.
Bow wow is more like it, better yet, don't know if your dog would even like them. Too much dough, too sticky, and just lacking in flavor. We ordered via the "red box" next to the wait line, which was way cool and had a wait time of about 1 minute. I tried the whole grain edamame Wow Bao thingy and unfortunately just wasn't impressed. The bf loves them though, so I don't want to cut into his positive munching experience, but we're going to have to agree to just disagree on this one.
(2)Jelena Z.
Ooh la la. These baos my not be authentic in the Chinatown sense of the word, but sometimes, proximity is what closes the deal. And yes, 845 N. Michigan is much closer to work and home base. I've only had the baos so far, and that's all that I want. Curry Chicken and BBQ Pork buns set my heart on fire. The fillings are delicious, all cozy in their hot dough bun. Tonight I splurged and tried the Coconut Custard bao for dessert. This one is a can't miss-- sweet custard with real shreds of coconut. The staff is on the ball... I had to wait a few minutes for a fresh Coconut Custard bao and I was offered a drink while I patiently anticipated my little treasures. Two times in one week. This may be the beginning of a beautiful obsession.
(4)mcquake j.
I don't know why I waited so long to try Wow Bao. Well... probably because it's in Water Tower, and my natural aversion to all things there. But--yes, I'll go ahead and say "wow!" These buns are tasty, tasty. I like the thai curry one best, but I have tried them all and wouldn't turn down any of the seven or eight varieties they have. The little filled, steamed buns are by far the closest approximation of the wee meat pies I grew to love so much when living in the UK, but can't seem to find anywhere here in Chicago. The combo deal--you get one of their salads (pad thai or spicy peanut noodle) plus two bao--is the best deal, and surprisingly filling. Compared to other food offerings in Water Tower, Wow Bao qualifies as a genuine "steal," haha. However, now that I have been exposed to the Westernized version of this Chinese street food delight, I am DEFINITELY heading down to Chinatown for more and cheaper versions.
(4)PJ M.
I couldn't believe they had a fast-food chain in Chicago that specialized in Banh Baos! Not all baos are equal. I'd recommend trying a 6-pack if there are two of you because the baos aren't that big. If you're paying with credit and you're in a rush to get some "hot buns," there's a cool kiosk next to the pick-up area, where you can order and pay for your food. But be aware that they don't have all the menu options listed at the kiosk. Thai-Curry - Good, but doesn't have the 'banh-bao' taste. Teriyaki - Sweet Spicy Mongolian Beef - Has a definite spicy kick. Hibiscus Tea - I wouldn't recommend the tea cause it was just a bit too bitter and bland. Thai Chicken Noodle Soup - DO NOT GET THIS. It's bland, dry chicken with very small noodle 'chunks." The noodles (if you can call them that) were only about 2-3 inches long each.
(4)Rahshonda K.
Loved the automated ordering however tasted well....fake not authentic at all. The one great thing was the Hibiscus Tea was fantastic!!!!
(2)Nancy L.
Love Wow Bao! I wish we had one in Orange County, CA! It would do great! The bao buns are exceptional. I have tried to duplicate at various restaurants here in California, but nothing beats the quick, inexpensive, and yummy bao buns in Chicago.
(5)Natalie T.
I know it's asian fusion bao buns. But I must say I liked it! HAhahahaha.... I liked the teriyaki ones, the bbq pork ones and the coconut custard one! I wasn't too much of a fan of the spicy mongolian beef one though. They are pretty cheap and the fill you up if you're looking to snack on something while you shop. I love it how when you get them they're piping hot and fresh!
(4)Angie N.
I love me some char siu bao's, my favorite off the rolling dim sum cart. Upon entering Water Tower Place (or more accurately; being blown in by the blustery winds of Chicago - tangent - why didn't I pack any long sleeved shirts or fleece?? - what an outta-towner I am!), we immediately spy Wow Bao in the corner of the foyer. We ordered 4 varieties to share ($1.45 each as of 5/8/10): BBQ Pork - The size of these yummy bao's are the perfect size for snacking, and the filling-to-bun ratio is good - lots stuffed inside. The BBQ pork is unique (not authentic Chinese flavoring, but very delicious). I had to hold myself back from ordering a couple more...hub was nice and gave me the bigger half ^_^ My fave of the bunch. Whole Wheat Edamame - I love edamame so I expected to like this bun, but not as much as I did. The edamame filling was a great texture - not sure of the other ingredients, but it was super flavorful, and the wheat bun was perfectly steamed (as were the others). 2nd fave of the bunch. Spicy Kung Pao Chicken - Perfect level of spiciness, chicken, peanut, vege mix - again, generous with the filling. Tasty. 3rd fav...nevermind, I think you get where I'm going with my ranking here. Thai Curry Chicken - I like Thai, I like Curry, I like chicken - and as it turns out, I like all 3 stuffed into a bao! Creative filling for a perfectly portable food. This lil place with the cute name got our taste buds going and I was more than ready for the long day of eating that lay ahead of us.
(4)Phuong N.
Fun quick stop during a full day of shopping! LOVE the touch screen kiosk you order from too. It literally took 67 seconds to get my food from the time I ordered it!! Many variety of buns to choose from and a cheap way to give your taste buds a little adventure. The sweet coconut buns are a MUST!!!
(4)Andrea A.
Have to review it because I'm surprised it doesn't have a higher star. Yes, it's fast food...but it's GOOD fast food. They are a great treat when I've had a good work-out day and just want to grab something fast on the way home. Wow Bao is a soft, fluffy, and doughy Asian bun. There are a few chicken, meat, and vegetarian options, as well as some dessert baos which I think sound AMAZING but have yet to try one. I can get by on 2 but if you're really hungry, you may want to reassess. Definitely a nice "fast food" option in the neighborhood.
(4)Kristine G.
Good food, a little more expensive than I'd anticipated. A little disappointed, because there weren't as many choices at the location as there were online. I'd looked on their site and went to the store wanting pot stickers, and all they had available were bao. The bao were pretty good (I got thai chicken curry, spicy kung pao chicken and teryaki chicken; kung pao was definitely best) but personally I don't know how I feel about my chicken dishes being rolled up into weird buns (that tend to get soggy on the bottom if you have to take them to-go as I did).
(3)Jessica D.
I've avoided Wow Bao for a while. I think my aversion was part mistrust of anything in Water Tower (I hate Food Life), part mistrust of the utterly unauthentic nature of the bao here, and part the relative lack of vegetarian options. But, after a trip to the equally touristy Millennium Park we stopped here for a bite on the way home. There are several things working in Wow Bao's favor. The first is that I love pretty much anything Asian, food wise. Second, they have ginger ale. Third, they now sell Korean frozen yogurt. The food is relatively cheap, considering the location. I mean, this isn't Chinatown or Argyle or Pilsen, it's Michigan Avenue. So, I can respect the pricing. Two could definitely eat well for $20 here. The bao we tried, the edamame and coconut custard, were both delicious. The yogurt was a little less tart than I like, but good, and cheap compared to the small size at other froyo locations. The ginger ale was tasty, but my girlfriend's tea was less than stellar. All in all, I would definitely say it's worth stopping in every so often when I'm in the neighborhood, since most of the Mag Mile's options are even more generic and significantly pricier.
(4)Jess L.
I started going to Wow Bao when it first opened. They make baos popular. There's a filling for everyone. You'll eat one and keep coming back for more. Even their vegetarian and dessert baos, which are not particularly authentic, are very good. I'd say their size-to-price ratio is not as good as the real bao you can find in Chinatown, but when you want a snack or to bring your honey a treat, you can never go wrong with a bao from Wow Bao.
(4)Melanie V.
Honestly? The bbq pork bun left me completely uninspired. Make the trek the Chinatown or even Argyle for much more amazing AND authentic bbq pork buns.
(2)Stephanie S.
Not bad at all! I had the spicy Kung pao chicken bowl, and for my baos I had the Kung pow bao and the Mongolian beef bao. Everything was tasty. It was my first time trying bao, and I wasn't let down. Would I go back here when I return to Chicago? Maybe...if I'm looking for a quick cheap meal.
(3)Samra M.
like the starts say...meh i'd rather ask my mom for some homemade ones. I guess it's alright but if you've had the real bao or sia pao to filipinos now that stuff is amazing! Easily imitated but never replicated, taste is off
(2)Helen Z.
Fresh, hot buns! They have cheap and great selection of drinks and chobani yogurt too! I had the veggie and egg for breakfast, and it was a bit on the bland/eggy side (but still tasty). I like the small portion too.
(3)Guy N.
Pretty simplistic and tasty. That's exactly what I was looking for on a cold Chicago morning as I woke up at the Raffaello Hotel on Delaware. I knew we had lunch plans and a nice dinner later that night so we didn't want anything huge and heavy but also wanted something worth eating. Wow Bao offers the perfect sized Baos for tiding you over for a few hours and the taste is worth mentioning. The thickness of the bun is perfect in relation to the amount of filling and size of the Bao. Sometimes it can be really thick and doughy so I'm glad that wasn't the case since it would be way too filling. Another characteristic of Baos that turns me on/off is the sweetness of the dough. Too sweet is not so sweet for me at least, but it needs taste. This bun is pretty balanced and suprisingly tasty. Curry Chicken - Curry is a good complement to the doughy texture of a Bao. The chicken was soft and the curry was strong, which is rare. Kung Pao - Spicy from the peppers, but not over the top. Tasty and the peanuts were a good texture supplement. Edamame - Wheat bun was good and tasted no different than the regular bun so you don't miss the gluten. The edamame stir fry inside was tasty. BBQ Pork - We had to try the BBQ Pork but were suprised that it wasn't the traditional Cha Siu inside. It seemed more like the American BBQ Pork, which we love anyway, so after getting over ourselves, we realized the taste of the pork was good. Would have liked to taste a traditional one but this place isn't traditional so I give it a pass. There are other items on the menu I would have tried if we were indulging in a full lunch but had to hold back. The four buns split between 2 people was a perfect amount of food. We finished up quickly and headed off to our Chicago Adventure. Thanks Wow Bao. Nice Buns!
(4)Liz G.
I've been a Wow Bao fan for years now. Think of it as a tasty little asian sandwich. I thought I had tried them all when, bao, there's a new sweet - apple cinnamon (very good) and a brand new breakfast menu! Now I just have to plan an AM shopping trip. Wow Bao is a great place to grab a quick lunch or dinner. I've only tried the bao, and they are delicious. The spicy kung pao chicken and the spicy mongolian beef are my favorite. If the bao is too dry for you, order a side of broth to dip them in. Quick, easy to eat, and cheap! (which is hard to find around this address!)
(4)Liz M.
I like to go to France with French people. Hungary must be done with Hungarians. And dim sum, in any city, must be with my friends who speak Chinese. Dim sum is where I first discovered bao, and I have done whatever I could to get my hands on those soft, doughy balls as often as possible. Unfortunately, none of my Asian friends have heard of the Midwest, so I am on my own here. Wow Bao is a perfect stop for me. The amount of filling seems comparable to what I have had at dim sum, so no complaints about that or the price. My favorite part is the bread anyway - I'm a sucker for food textures, and I can't get enough of this bread. I tried 4/6 flavors (everything except the spicy ones) and they were all delicious. I had a friend try the spicy ones, and the Mongolian beef one was by far the spicier of the two, and very VERY spicy! The homemade ginger ale is not for the faint of heart! It is SUPER gingery to the point of almost being spicy. I have been craving ginger flavors lately, so this was perfect for me! As far as some of the more critical reviews are concerned, Wow Bao doesn't pretend to be more than it is. I don't think "hot asian buns adapted from traditional Chinese cuisine and Americanized for the American public" fits on their sign. If you want authentic, go visit a friend's Chinese grandmother and tell her you're hungry. You'll be eating for days.
(4)Nadia B.
I happen to be in Chicago yesterday and was strolling around N Michigan Ave when I saw Wow Bao next to Macy's. The service was awesome and super quick though the girl at the register did made a mistake on my order, but they sorted out pretty quick and I was happy. I guess being Asian, I have a higher expectation on my bao, but I do understand that I wasn't even at chinatown. The dough is soft and nice, but I feel the flavors are more like americanized chinese. However if I work nearby I would be happy to grab these for quick lunch or snacks. 2 of those will fill me up nicely. I flew back to Austin that afternoon and brought 12 pieces with me (every single flavors they have except the wheat edamame). My favorite is still the BBQ Pork, next is Curry then Kung Pao.
(3)Dee T.
I thought this was good mall food with an interesting twist on the bao. I still prefer authentic though. They have some interesting flavors and you can even buy them frozen to take home. I like that you can order at a screen. It's quick and convenient. This is ok for a snack but the portions are not large enough for a meal and for the price. I'd like to try the chocolate next time. enjoy!
(3)Saba A.
The four stars is for the taste of the food and great, very quick service. This should be a great appetizer before shopping at Water Tower. I love the Curry one, but all of them are good. Just go for a few! I would never do this as my "lunch" but it can be filling! You can sit upstairs on small tables if you find one, but it can be a little messy!
(4)Jason M.
Wow! I am all about the Bao. Not only did I rock a Red Eye secret word special, but I also got the buy one bao get one free four square deal. The cashier let me stack promos and I was a pig in shit. Literally. I proceeded to rock the six pack and throw all six down. The Bao are scrumptious warm meat filled pockets of happiness. I haven't bit into one that I didn't like. For a quick meal on the go Wow Bao has my biz...
(4)Dru C.
Nice concept, clever name, and an even better slogan. I mean if "Hot Asian Buns" doesn't get your marketing juices flowing, what will? You can think of a million advertising schemes. Of course, most of which will probably end up in a lawsuit. But as a Chinese dude who has probably eaten thousands if not millions (okay, maybe that's an exaggeration) of steamed buns, I just wasn't that impressed. It wasn't bad, really. For someone looking for a quick bite or healthy snack around the area, it's a decent alternative. We tried the thai curry chicken steamed bun, a sample fro-yo, and a pomegranate ginger ale. The employees look like they desperately want to be elsewhere. This particular location charged over $2 for one. The website, on the other hand, said $1.39. Of course, you look around and see "pricing maybe vary by location." Ah ha. We tear open the bun and find a nice combination of chicken and curry flavors. It's just that there wasn't much of it. The rather small bun was devoured by the both of us in a matter of seconds. Not horrendous, but not worth the price they are charging. These things should be around 75 cents each, $1 dollar max. It's cool that I tried a Wow Bao in my life, but obviously it didn't "wow" me. The bun may work for others, just not for me. Some people like their buns small. Others like their buns large and plump. Some like their buns filled with juicy and meaty fillings. Wow Bao, it just wasn't meant for me.
(2)Anna P.
Really like this place - I absolutely love steamed dumplings and bao are like an even better version! They are well-stuffed with goodies and you can get a filling small meal without breaking the bank. I've tried all six "savory" types offered at Water Tower Place, and love all of them - my favorites are thai chicken curry and whole wheat edamame. The one thing I will warn against is the thai chicken broth - I probably should have known this, but it's literally just chicken broth served in a paper cup. Not worth $2 - stick with the bao and other offerings. I'm craving more already...
(4)Nonik M.
The best Bao ever! It is not authentic, it's better!!! I always hate Bao with meat filling, because it is too fatty, and makes my stomach hurt, but the Wow Bao's meat is great! I have big acid problem, but here I can enjoy, and my stomach doesn't complain. So I know exactly that their ingerdients are good.
(5)Lisa G.
Stopped by to grab a Thai Iced Coffee - reasonably priced and delicious!
(5)Kim C.
Sometimes I actually crave this stuff. Am I a bad Asian for loving this? No! You know why? Because they're not authentic and they don't claim to be. They embrace their fusion-ness and deliver hot, steamy, tasty baos. My favorites are the thai curry chicken, mongolian beef, and coconut custard. I'm also a big fan of the teriyaki chicken bowl. Good thai iced coffee, too! Note: If you have a big appetite, though, don't expect to get full for less than $15-20 :P
(5)smriti k.
First time,I heard the name ,I assumed it was a place to get dog food.And yes!! there is no reason as to why I cannot think that way. WOW BAO is a tiny cafe which serves Chinese food,and they are famous for their stuffed buns-which is basically chicken or veggies stuffed in flour.The whole structure is similar to a dumpling but more solid and heavier.The stuffing was pretty good and it is pretty cheap.It is a great To-go food for tourists or for people who are exhausted shopping in the mall it is located. I still wonder why it's called WOW BAO.Google says BAO means precious treasure.Ahmmm...*Thinks hard for 10 minutes to come up with some clever reasons*Ahmmm....Who cares? Food is good and the name is just catchy :) -Smriti
(5)T T.
Tasty and affordable, Wow Bao serves up fresh Asian buns in a variety of different flavors. I had the spicy Kung Pao chicken, spicy Mongolian beef, and BBQ pork. Of the three, my favorite was the spicy Kung Pao chicken, which had a lot of flavor. The buns themselves were warm and sweet.
(4)Jessica S.
Baos have good filling and are cheap. dough was a little thick.
(3)Aurore L.
What is the logical thing to do after a spa treatment, a solid 90-minute at roof-top pool but before a shopping trip to the wild and furious north side of Michigan Avenue?!?? Grab a bao of course!! I finally decided to take the plunge after walking by the neon bright store-front a zillion times. I was seriously starving. Health-freak option: whole wheat bun with edamame and vegetables. Surprisingly good and satisfying before my dinner pasta-feast (hel-llo Francesca!!) Taken away without a bag. No time for all the thrills. For those of us with a sweet tooth they even offer a coconut custard and one chocolatey delight with ginger. Score!!
(4)Brad C.
Wow Bao, your "Hot Asian Buns," have impressed me. I was introduced to this place by a couple of the guys I was working with for the week. I am not a big McDonalds / Wendys fast food sort of person. So I was very happy we didn't end up going to one of those. Wow Bao was fast and much more tasty. I think cheaper also, each dumpling is only $1.29, and you can get a box of 6. Those 6 "Hot Asian Buns" filled me up. I was a big fan of the chicken curry one. Check this place out if you are looking for something fast in the area.
(5)Akash M.
This is a great snacking place. The Bows are full of flavors and look absolutely gorgeous. Try the one with kung pao chicken filling.
(4)Y. W.
The steamed buns are great - i had chocolate and coconut. Service was bad. I asked cashier for my receipt and he told me "You don't need it"... Then he gave it to me. I'd go here again as long as that guy doesn't take my order.
(2)K- K.
I've been going to Wow Bao for many years now, I love them so much. The only reason I don't give all 5 stars is that the staff can sometimes be surly - understandable, considering the location and clientele.
(4)Liz B.
I think I'm in love, Wow Bao. Working off of Michigan Avenue is not easy sometimes. Especially when it comes to grabbing cheap, quick lunch. Not to mention having to drown in annoying tourists and American Girl Place psycho-children. A cheap Mag Mile alternative, the bao are only $1.39 each and come in several different flavors. My favorite are the Teriyaki Chicken and Curry Chicken. The bao are not that filling, so I would recommend getting the combo with rice bowl (Kung Pao is just my style) and two bao if you are really hungry. The only thing missing is a delicious dipping sauce- the dough in the bao can be kind of dry. Overall, very delicious and super-fast (not counting the walk down Michigan Ave to get there). If you're in even more of a hurry, use the self-checkout kiosk. Here you can create your own order so all you need to do is wait for your food, which will probably be ready by the time your credit card is finished processing! If you're looking for a cheap, quick and delicious meal off the mag mile, Wow Bao is where it's at.
(5)Laura K.
I have a new love - Apple Cinnamon Bao! It tastes like apple pie in a hot steamy bun! Mmmm! Oh, and homemade ginger ale is still the best.
(5)Pat E.
Very unique! They were stationed at U.S. Cellular, behind section 158, and I got two Whole Wheat Baos', and I was surprised by the doughy goodness! It was just a stand, but I didn't know they had a restaurant! Will try to visit!
(4)Maureen C.
Love their Baos! So fresh and it's delicious as well! My favorites: teriyaki chicken and spicy mongolian beef... but i've tried the other flavors and they are all so good too! Also try their Thai Iced Coffee, they make it really well here... It may be on the sweet side, but I have a sweet tooth, so it's perrrfect. I wish they had more locations. Hope they open one around Old Town, I will definitely be a regular!
(4)Travelling O.
The thai iced tea coffee was very good. In fact, we went back for a 2nd coffee on the way out. I got yelled at for taking a picture and the lady said to go to their website for pictures. The dough was really soft and fresh, but the inside was not good at all. They messed up our order and gave us curry instead of BBQ pork. I would not go there again.
(2)Heather H.
The chocolate ginger coconut bao is to die for. I just noticed today that they are now offering breakfast! I'll definitely be trying to those out. The new ordering kiosks make it really simple to select what you want and pay for it without having to wait too long in line. The dessert bao are my favorite, but they are all pretty tasty.
(4)Raghav C.
-Reasonably inexpensive for good quality baos -Very filling...I get full after 3-4 and I am a reasonably big eater -Great variety -I tried the pot stickers, they didnt hv it ready to serve so I bought a frozen pack (24-27 potstickers for ~$8) - great deal
(4)Jennifer B.
Yummy pillows of goodness! This location doesn't have seating...so you have to take your "hot asian buns" to go....but other than that it's aces! And cheap! Definitely a great snack when you need to refuel from a busy day of shopping...
(4)Kristin S.
Cheap, fast , filling and good! These things are hard to come by when you're spending the day in the loop, so when my sister and I needed a place to stop for a quick bite between wedding dress shopping, I picked this spot. It's in Water Tower Place and the seating is upstairs, but they make up for that inconvenience with the easy, touch-screen ordering. The bao buns were all tasty with the Spicy Mongolian Beef and the Kung Pao Chicken being my faves of the savory, and the coconut custard bun being a nice, sweet finish to the meal. We also ordered the cold peanut salad which would have been better if they'd remembered to give us the peanut sauce that went with it. My fiance was halfway through the salad before I mentioned that I thought somehting was missing and he ran down the flight of stairs to get it. I also tried some specialty drinks this trip for the first time. My green tea ginger ale fell really flat, but my fiance's hibiscus iced tea was pretty tasty. I still think I'd rather have the cheap, free water or a diet coke, but I'm glad we tried them. Overall, I have to say it's a nice value and non-traditional place to grab a bite to eat downtown. I'll be back, though I'll pass on the chicken curry bao which is the only one I've found that I really, really don't like.
(3)Stephanie H.
Hot. Asian. Buns. Oh hell yeah. I don't think I've had anything else here, other than their hot Asian buns, known as Bao. They're little round, steamed buns full of yummies. I like the chicken terriyaki the best, followed by the chicken curry. Oh! And they now have sweet ones. Good move, Wow Bao. Now you can have SWEET hot Asian buns. Try the coconut custard. It's awesome.
(4)Morten H.
Pretty good the first times you eat it. When you have had it too many times though, it start getting boring. Their food is OK, and it is fast.
(3)Matt S.
Mmm... hot Asian buns. I think that can basically sum up my review of Wow Bao. I've been numerous times and am addicted. While the bao choices may vary on the time that you go or the location you stop at, there are some standards they have at every location--I recommend the spicy Mongolian beef and spicy kung pao chicken. I can't lie--my mouth is watering writing this... Admittedly I haven't tried their dessert-ish bao (coconut custard, chocolate) I am a fan of some of their vegetarian option whole wheat edamame. Outside of bao, they also have a nice non-bao selection of noodle offerings which serve a nice companion dish. One thing that surprised me when I went to the location in Water Tower Place is they didn't offer potstickers (or steamed dumplings as Wow Bao refer to them). If you're a fan of potstickers, I'd suggest hitting one of the other locations as they weren't even on the Water Tower Place menu! Happy hot Asian bunning.
(4)Colin C.
Pretty good, fast, and cheap. For $5 you get two bao and a cup of broth. The cup of broth is kind of an odd side item, but if it is cold outside, or like me you have a cold, it is actually pretty nice to have.
(4)Jessica S.
How do you describe heaven? Wow. Bao. As I'm lucky enough to work in downtown Chicago on occasion, it's also unfortunate that I don't have access to refrigerator to bring my lunch so I'm forced to go out. Thank God for Google Maps and Yelp because I would never have found out about Wow Bao if it were not for them. Intrigued by the name, I researched more and discovered that I was pretty much falling in love with the place before I even ate there. True love at first sight describes my relationship with this little place. Upon arrival I discovered that I didn't even need to speak to anyone to place my order! A small kiosk will take your order (special requests and all) if you're paying by credit/debit. I ordered 3 meat bao and 1 dessert. I also ordered a homemade ginger ale. Within less than a minute my order was ready and I pranced upstairs to take delight in my newfound food romance. I have been off carbs for about 2 months now, with the occasional binge on deep dish pizza or Thai noodles and this HIT THE SPOT since I was craving bread like crazy. So incredibly soft and doughy, chewy and warm. Of my three meat baos (Kung Pao chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Teriyaki chicken) I think I most enjoyed the teriyaki chicken because it has cilantro in it...my favorite herb. But they were all amazing, including my coconut custard dessert bao. Wow. If you like ginger, you will love the ginger ale. But if you don't, don't even bother because it does have a very strong ginger taste. The next day I went BACK to Wow Bao because I was downtown again for work and was craving those little balls of heaven. This time I tried a combo with 2 bao and a salad. I had the peanut noodle salad which was decent, but compared to my bao it was nothing special. I'm not saying it was terrible but I definitely think I'll stick with just bao next time. My second time around I did the pomegrante ginger ale and I liked it just as much as the original. Drooling at the mouth just writing this - too bad I'm in Evanston today and won't be venturing downtown for another week and a half. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a box sent to my house. Every week.
(5)Sandra W.
I really like this place. Especially at this location. I had been starving the whole day looking for a place to eat but do my errands at the same time. Somewhere I could go, grab the food, and eat and walk. Not mcDonalds or Subway. Wow Bao was just downstairs and I grabbed 2 asian buns. I'm asian. I've had homemade ones. And these weren't far from them :) surprisingly. I was really shocked at how good the BBQ Pork were and the spicy mongolian beef. It was actually really good. The vegetarian one was also really good.
(4)Meagan L.
I really love Wow Bao. However, they lost a star for running out of noodles at 7pm! Although they didn't have exactly what we wanted, the manager was very accommodating and actually gave us extra bao in place of the noodles. I have tried their bao at different events and enjoyed them there and was glad I got to try the other varieties. All in all, running out of noodles seems to have been a positive thing because I got to try more of the bao I love! One more thing, the coconut custard bao is actually really delicious! It may sound strange but it is really yummy.
(4)Paulina N.
Just WOW. What more can I say? Everytime I'm in Chicago, I just have to go get some Wow Bao. Not too many options, but try the chicken teriyaki (it's my favorite). They even have a vegan bao! Man, that is awesome. There are usually lines, but that's why they have a kiosk :)
(5)Doe L.
After a year of saying I'd eat here, I finally did! The other locations either close earlier on weekends or are not open at all! Luckily I made it before this one closed on Saturday... Since I have no idea when I would come back, I tried all 6 fillings - bbq pork, teriyaki chicken, spicy mongolian beef, whole wheat edamame, thai curry chicken, and spicy kung pao chicken. First of all, I had no idea they were labeled on the bottom!! I sat there and guessed which one I was eating the whole time... Three of them look the same.. and kind of tasted the same after a while... Don't expect the BBQ Pork to be like chinatown bbq pork! All of them were pretty good though. They have the perfect proportion of bread and filling. The bread is hot and so soft... you must eat them right away! It's just so good.... Unexpectedly, my favorite turned out to be the whole wheat edamame. It just tastes like a veggie bun in wheat bread but it's so yummy. The wheat bread is just as soft as the regular! I could eat 6 of these by itself! I guess I'll try the regular ginger ale next time. The green tea one wasn't that good in my opinion... I was a little sad because the Water Tower location doesn't have potstickers or the frozen yogurt (which I've heard about). I guess I'll have to try out the other locations too... but hopefully I won't take another year..
(4)Vaidehi T.
I am big fan of Wow Bao. Tasty, healthy, quick lunch. I have only tasted the baos and the pot stickers so cannot vouch for the rice dishes. My fav ones are the edamame, curry chicken and chocolate baos.
(4)Jason V.
When I first heard about this place from a friend in Chicago, I got pretty excited. The concept seemed perfect: Hot steamed buns without even the wait of a Chinese take-out place, much less sit down dim sum. Perhaps the expectations were too high. I tried a sample of the BBQ Pork Buns and the Teriyaki Chicken Buns. The quality of the bun is nowhere near what you would get elsewhere--the buns are a bit on the small side and the taste is a little off. I wouldn't foreclose going there again (and I'd like to try some of the Breakfast Baos some time), but I can't recommend it in good faith to someone else.
(2)Jen G.
It's so nice to have a place where you can grab a legitimate snack or have a full meal. Esp. if you're stuck waiting for a bus to go home... I probably go here once a week. It used to be once a month, but they recently added a whole wheat edamame bao that makes me feel healthy :) The green veggie is good too, but I'm not perfect: I almost always get a bbq pork or kung pao to go along with my veggies. For a snack, I just do one. If a meal, two-three is usually enough. Sometimes the buns are a bit doughy, but I don't really know enough about the cuisine to know what's proper or not. Each bao cost $1.29, fyi, at press time. The salad is a bit watery for me, but I love the dressing and it's another option. The rice bowls (there is a cabbage bowl also available) is good, but I checked their Web site and those babies are 500 calories. Not worth the caloric splurge, in my opinion. Finally, and this may sound strange, but they have the best fountain coke here. I don't usually drink the fountain stuff, but there is just something so right about their mix. Maybe extra syrup?
(4)Anne B.
Holy cow, Wow Bao!! I love this place and wish I had known about it earlier. I had a juicy delicious pork bun for only $1.49. The seating is a little odd, as it's upstairs from the actual venue, but I loved it. My stomach is growling now!! :)
(5)Brenna O.
Quick and easy when you need to grab a bite in a hurry, as we did on our way to the movie theater over there. Going up the escalator to the sitting area is a little weird, but once we got there luckily there were some open tables so we had a chance to sit down. I'm so glad this was an option instead of some fast food place, and it filled me right up so I could get back to shopping! *cue 60s surf music* B-B-B-BAO BAO BAO, BAO IS THE WOW!
(4)Luan N.
Has to be the cheapest fro-yo you can get in town. For about $2.29 you can get a huge swirly with either pomegranate or green tea syrup. For some reason it seemed saltier and the syrup was overly sweet, so not sure it worked for me. But it's cheaper and greater quantity than most places.
(3)Amaliya L.
A few months ago, my father was presented with a box containing 6 dozen frozen Wow Baos. There was a dozen each of the spicy Kung Pao chicken, Thai curry chicken, spicy Mongolian beef, BBQ pork, and the coconut custard. He divided them equally between my siblings and me. I forgot all about them until today when I was organizing my deep freezer. Being lazy, I wrapped 2 in a wet paper towel, and microwaved them for 2 minutes. Wow! They are actually pretty decent! The Kung Pao exceeded my expectations...and the coconut custard was a perfect finish to my dinner. (Warning! The custard gets hot!!!!) I would highly recommend trying these if you are ever in the area. 2 are quite filling!! My only complaint is that $1.39 for one is kind of steep...you can buy a bag of 24 of these in Chinatown for $5 or pay 65 cents for one twice the size. I don't think that I would rush out to buy them at that price..but if I were in the area, it would be a good choice to take the little one. I did see that they offer a lunch special of 2 baos or 5 potstickers with either Pad Thai salad, veggie salad or peanut noodles for $5.99. Considering how filling 2 were, that is not a bad price.
(4)Megan G.
Its pretty much the reason I go to Water Tower.
(4)Liezl S.
"hot Asian buns" the smell of the bao is enticing. good to drop by for a snack, but you'll find better tasting bao at dim sum places.
(3)D C.
Great place with an unique concept. They are conveniently located in the front of the Water Tower building. Their Baos (hot asian buns) are DELICIOUS! I have tried their Thai Curry Chicken and Chicken Teriyaki. The Thai Curry Chicken was was much tastier, while the Teriyaki was good but the sauce was a bit lumpy. Next time I likely will try their spicy mongolian beef and spicy kung pao chicken. They make all of their Ginger ales from scratch and they actually have REAL fresh ginger in them (eat your heart out Schweppes). I had the pomegranate ginger ale and it was very refreshing. Prices are very reasonable and they have this cool kiosk that you order from. Who knew fast food good actually be this interesting?! Will definitely hit this place up again for some quick good eats next time I am in the area.
(4)Benica B.
A very polished/chic/neat take on a chinatown favorite! These steamed buns (siopao) are the perfect fix for when one gets tired of sightseeing or shopping or both! I ordered the 6pack with 3 bbq pork, 2 teriyaki chicken, and a thai curry chicken for a little less than $9 sans tax. While these little pieces are tasty, it may take 3 to4 to satisfy a craving. For the price, the buns and contents should be made a little bit bigger.
(3)Barack O.
Good for a snack but priced like a meal. Portions are tiny. Fare isn't authentic but not doused in grease or MSG, so that's a plus, as is the automated ordering kiosk and the prime location. Other than that, Wow Bao exhibits every characteristic of a tourist trap.
(3)Jay W.
I've been there only once and tried the box of 6 and loved it. The next time though I think I'll pass on the vegetable and try another kung pao or Mongolian beef. Since they're steamed instead of being lathered in oil or cheese they're actually quite guilt free so enjoy away! Just don't eat too many of them.
(5)Sarah F.
Just what I need...two MORE things at Wow Bao to be addicted to. I have already been addicted to the Bao and cool Pad Thai Salad for years, but NOW they have gotten me addicted to their Chocolate Coconut Ginger Bao (it oozes in the middle like a choco lava cake) and their asian froyo! When 3:00 calls, I feel like I need it! The pomegranate syrup for they have to top the froyo is great too! I think there's a green tea one too. This froyo is definitely more thick and custard-like than their counterparts at BerryChill or Bloomies, but it IS DELICIOUS. Perhaps the MOST delicious.
(5)Katie R.
yeah, a chain, but the bao are delicious.
(4)Lesly M.
I love this place. I always get the combo : 2 bbq pork and pad thai salad. Its great for a light lunch or snack while in the Water Tower area. Sometimes, they run out of selection in the evening hours.
(4)Jade G.
this is the fast food of chinese steam buns. My friend and I were stranded after shopping in downtown and were contemplating of eating this stuff or walking over to Big Bowl. well, let's just say we should have walked! we ordered their bowls -cashew chicken and chicken terriyaki, that were both around $7 each with tax. Their bowls are filled with 90% white rice and "chicken crumbs" seriously it wasn't even like ground chicken meat, it was like sprinkled crumbs with scallion onions and sauce! I think they were to afraid to use real chicken meat and opted for mystery "chicken crumbs" - I do not want to know what parts of the chicken were used! the bowl size is very small too, and a bit overpriced for what you get. They should price it at $4.50 per bowl, or include a small size with it at the ongoing price Anyways I did also try their "steam bun" and it was small and o-k. If you really like steam buns you are better off taking the red-line train to China town, which is only a few stops away anyways and getting the real deal! the buns tasted like an average steam bun you would get an asian grocery store chain, - I really don't see the Rave of this place- only that it's the only asian fast food in the vincinity. so just go to Big Bowl or Chinatown.....
(2)Paulius N.
wow bao happiness! small but delicious plumpees. neat and hygenic. Carry on.
(4)Joshua N.
I love Baozi. These are, of course, a gentrified tribute to the real deal so don't go expecting anything authentic here. Still, they are delicious - particularly the BBQ pork. This location has a limited menu compared to others who serve warm noodle dishes. Seating is pretty limited; just a row of 2 seat tables upstairs. The staff is typically very friendly. Great for a snack if you are close, but if you want a full meal you are probably better off at one of the other downtown locations that have a wider menu and their own dining rooms.
(3)Cliff E.
I went to Wow Bao for lunch. I knew it'd be quick, fast-foodesque and didn't expect much. So I hustled out of my building, down to the Lake street L station, rumbled over to Chicago Street, hoofed it over to Water Tower Place and in to the foyer. The line moves pretty quickly and the menu isn't extensive so it's easy to get what you want and go. I ordered the 6 pack (dropping the vegan bao and replacing it with an extra Mongolian beef bao), and then hustled and hoofed it back to my desk. The bao were still warm by the time I got back to the 19th floor, and I enjoyed them over my keyboard. While they were all soft, steamed and tasty, I think the Kung Pao Cashew Chicken and Mongolian Beef were the best. The Teryaki and BBQ Pork were a little too sweet for me, and I thought the Curry Chicken could've been a little more spicy. And honestly, I'd like to see some traditional bao on the menu (though they'd probably lose $$$ on them, after all I'm the only caucasian I know that likes bean curd). I think Wow Bao would be good if you had a craving for bao and you were close by, or were spending a day on the MagMile and needed a quick, steamed burst of flava. At $1.29 each they taste better and and are healthier for you than a White Castle slider. So enjoy!
(3)Armanius M.
Amazingly good baos! I was skeptical at first. Being a cynical Asian male, I figured that this place was one of those "Asian" eateries that cater to non-Asians. But then I tried their baos, and really enjoyed them! My favorite one is the coconut custard bao. Good value too. Wish they'd open one in Houston.
(4)Rahul S.
So I went here one time for lunch about a year back. I had some vegetarian potstickers, and I was impressed. I'm usually not a fan of Asian food, but this was so unique. I'd go here again, but I don't work downtown anymore. This location is nice (near the financial district).
(4)Sam Z.
Beware if you don't like cilantro. I just tried Wow Bao for the first time. Had the teriyaki bowl. All I could taste was cilantro, even after removing the cilantro they sprinkled on top.
(2)Jules H.
I guess I was a bit disappointed in this place. it wasn't as authentic as I had hoped for! My Bao's were mostly dough and little filling, plus it's seems like there's something missing, like a rice vinegar sauce or something to dip them in! They were a bit dry. I think they accidentally gave me a coconut Bao instead of the curry and it was my fav!
(3)Allison A.
I love that this is a fast food place and inexpensive, but the food is actually decent. There are great healthy options and veggie options, and the only downside is that the dough is just a wee bit overdone sometimes. Still, overall, filling, good and interesting stuff. Convenient. And it's not a Corner Bakery, which seems to be a novelty downtown.
(4)Jenn T.
Had the teriyaki chicken cuz the cashier girl told me it was the most popular. It was ehhhhhhhhs. Good and warm while walking on magnificent mile, but it wasn't omg wowwwwwwww! Just good. Innovative. I like that.
(3)Bill M.
This small stand is curiously located in the main lobby of Water Tower Place. It features Chinese-style steamed buns that can be good snacks for on-the-go shoppers. It's a cute little outlet, but there is absolutely no seating in this area. A sign points the way to seating once you ride the escalators up to the next level.
(3)Lauren L.
Wow! I love this place. I always stop whenever I'm downtown doing some shopping, because it is a perfect snack, with a reasonable price, and it is healthy for you. I like that they post the nutritional information at the store, I like that it never takes more than 2 minutes to get the snack, and I like that it costs only $2. As far as eating a meal here, I'm not sure they have a enough variety. But if you just feel like a snack definitely check it out, I like the Terryaki Chicken and spicy Mongolian beef baos. Yum!
(5)Tom X.
So I decided to grab lunch here and have regretted it ever since. A few bites into my chicken dish and a I heard a loud crack. I then spit a pebble out. I found out later I cracked a molar and needed a crown followed by a root canal. Oh joy. I decided to call them to let them know and I was told t call the insurance company (Chubb). They completely dismissed me and said because I didn't keep the rock I had no claim. Thanks a lot ! I will never go back and won't stop telling people not to eat here. Gross !
(1)Chris W.
Fast, tasty (I had Thai Curry Chicken and Beef Teriyaki) and didn't make me feel all 400 lbs. for hours thereafter! The dumpling form is particularly well-calibrated to fend off overindulgence.
(4)Eddie C.
I live like 2 blocks away from this place, so it's one of my go-to spots for a quick dinner when I'm busy studying, etc. I've heard some people (especially Asians) complain that the baos are not authentic, that they seem small and overpriced, etc etc. But you know what? I still love 'em. They may not be authentic, but they're tasty and it's actually kind of cool how some of the flavors are not traditional, cuz you get to try baos you never heard of before, like the Thai Curry bao, for example. I also love how they have the steamers displayed by the checkout...it just looks so good when they pull out those piping hot, freshly steamed buns. I personally love the steamed taste cuz it just tastes so clean. And I hope they don't get rid of their Whole Wheat Edamame and Tea-8 Vegetable baos...cuz I love my meat, but I love my veggies too....a couple of those veggie ones plus some meat baos in a 6-bao combo box makes for a decent dinner. Either that or I get the 2 bao + rice bowl combo. The salads and the chicken broth soup are aiite too. Might not be authentic or the best baos ever, but it's the best you can get anywhere in Streeterville.
(4)Nic T.
Wow, what a ripoff! Anyone that desires to try a REAL Bao, just message me and I will meet you in Chinatown for some real and good baos. Earlier the better but we can still find BETTER baos there than WowBao even at 5pm. For those of you that think this place is even REMOTELY a lunch bargain, you need to go to chinatown. I recommend Mui Feida Bakery on wentworth and ask for the "Big Bao" or die bao in cantonese. You will never eat a Wow Bao ever again. The only thing that "wows" me here is that it is still in business. Once again, my offer stands if anyone wants to get a real bao with me in chinatown.
(1)Ken L.
Three words: Americanized Chinese Food Dont see a lot of places that serves Chinese Buns here in US unless you're in chinatown. So this place is a good place for me when i have some asian food cravings. The menu could be surprisingly overwhelming. And going up to the seating area at the 2nd floor is like a long walk of shame with your food. lol I would say the price is moderate but it would add up fairly quickly as one or two buns would not fill my hungry stomach. You could definitely get cheaper buns in chinatown. I think the buns are too heavy in dough and light on the delicious fillings. I actually find the pad tai salad delicious, if only the portion is bigger. So this is not really a place for authentic delicious food but it would still do for me. And I would say this is a snack place rather than a lunch/dinner place.
(4)Chas V.
If I gotta eat food at a mall, I'm hoping they have one of these joints. And make no mistake, Water Tower Place is a mall, minus the Chess King and Spencer Gifts, and thankfully they don't have a Panda Express either. Instead, you will find this place with their sweet little nuggets of doughy goodness filled with all sorts of tasty treats. I'll also vouch for the fresh ginger ale. Good stuff, good prices.
(3)Jason L.
This is on Michigan Ave street level just inside the main entrance and it's hard to find seating for more than one or two people when it's busy. The seating is actually located on the second level up the escalator. You get your food and go up the escalator or just get it to go. The pork bun is a little bland but everything else is flavorful and distinct. The chicken pad thai salad is also very good. The buns don't travel very well in my opinion and are best fresh on the spot. This would be true wherever you get "bao" buns however, so it would be ok by me if they started expanding around the city. I make it a point to eat here whenever I'm in Water Tower or upper Michigan Ave by myself or with a friend, not with a group. Because waiting in the entrance for everyone to order and then shuffling around for a table upstairs with a bunch of people would be a hassle, especially in Water Tower. But you might be able to grab a table for four or more people when it's slower during non peak hours if you're group is feeling adventurous.
(5)Shanna B.
I go to school right across the street and I swing by here for cheap, quick baos all the time. I don't eat meat, so I only get the Green Edamame baos, but those are all I need as they are super healthy, filling, and delicious.
(4)Chuck K.
I ate at the Wow Bao in the lobby of Water Tower Place. I had the rice bowl, with chicken and cabbage. After paying, I moved to my left and watched them prepare the dish. It struck me then - of course they don't prepare the food here! The chicken was prepacked. You search for, and select your plastic fork and knife, put your dishes on a tray, and then take two escalators up to the "dining" area. Careful that you don't fall! You then must find an open table, and chairs for the people in your group. The chicken/cabbage was terrible - watery (from the cabbage). The ambiance is loud, but it is rather interesting to watch people come and go up the escalators. Next time: have the rice, not the cabbage. Also, don't try to get fast food on Michigan Ave - go West.
(1)Kimmie S.
I had the Mongolian Spicy Beef and the Thai Curry Chicken! Both were amazing. I love that the meats come in this doughy steamed substance! I didn't try the other flavors but it's the perfect snack and since it's only $1.39 a piece, it's the perfect way to keep the hunger at bay.
(5)Lois A.
When it's freezing outside Bao warms my hands as I shop on Michigan ave. When it's hot I will take some Bao to the beach and sit and watch the waves come in. Several years ago Bao replaced caramel corn as the treat I need while on the mag mile. It's cheap, it's filling and it tastes good. It's also an easy snack to stop and get when tourist friends are in town because Bao seems like some crazy strange invention to them. The line is never too long and the people working here are always nice.
(3)Neil M.
My first fast food bao, and it was pretty good. Soda was very refreshing (pomegranite ginger ale) against the spicy Mongolian beef. Had BBQ pork (of course) too which was pretty swell. Compared to my San Francisco Chinatown baos, no comparison. But in the context of other fast food choices, its a winner. Heading back for another round right now. As for venue, its at the entrance of the mall. Seating is up the escalator. So, if you're walking on Michigan Ave, its a quick meal/treat. Neat kiosks allow you to order by touch screen and credit card.
(4)Rachel H.
Good alternative to McDonalds or the like when you're in the Watertower area. You can also buy frozen bao to take home with you! The real draw for me is the fresh ginger ale made from real ginger. Now I can satisfy my craving for the ginger ale without having to pay for a full meal at places like Big Bowl or Stir Crazy. Yippie!
(4)Jordyn V.
I love these asian hot buns. There a great not so expensive snack! I love them especially the teriyaki and barbeque ones!
(5)Miranda P.
I have been living in Chicago for three years now, and just decided to try this place yesterday. I was very pleased. I only bought two individual baos and a fro-yo scoop. The spicy kung pao chicken baos were amazing!!!! I love the outside the best though. The fro-yo was delicious. It tastes EXTREMELY similar to Berry Chill's original yogurt, but half the price for a larger serving (only $2.50, Berry Chill is $4.00). One downside was that the girl that took my order was very blah and didn't want to answer any questions. I found this disheartening since I was a first time customer, but oh well. I will definitely be visiting here more frequently.
(4)Lisa B.
I love getting BBQ pork buns when I'm out for Dim Sum (don't tell my Rabbi) so when I found Wow Bao, I was thrilled to find a place that makes them with other fillings besides pork for a guilt-free experience. I'm partial to the Kung Pao chicken and the spicy Mongolian Beef. Their lunch specials that include two bao and a salad are a great deal. The only drawback is having to schlep your tray up the crowded escalators to get to the seating area, but who can kvetch about that when you're getting such a cheap and tasty meal?
(4)Patty K.
I LOVE this place. You can get a cheap meal here that is ridiculously tasty. This is a great option for vegetarians looking for a quick meal as the vegetarian bao are delicious. You can also buy packs of six frozen bao to enjoy at home. Surprisingly they are almost as good at home as they are there! I've tried all of the different flavors of bao here and have yet to be disappointed--the most frustrating thing about eating here is deciding which kinds of bao to get! Such a great place--get three for a meal or grab one for a snack!
(5)Frida G.
Yummy! I've been waiting for something like this to come around! I'm hooked on the larger sho pao that I normally get from the filipino or chinese stores... Wow Bao provides a very quick and clean appetite fix! I've had all their flavors and loved them all. I also had this one cold drink that was very good. It was red and I think it had ginger in it.
(5)Lindsay S.
it fast and easy to get food from... i really like the coconut custard and breakfast baos.
(3)Julia M.
another quick lunch, yum. wish I knew about the foursquare special, I'd welcome the discount
(4)Jenna l.
An affordable alternative to the Food Life food court upstairs (which i like to think as Food Rip-off). A friend and I had EXACTLY the right amount of change in our pockets to get one bao each, and I had the mongolian beef. It was underdone, and pretty poor in the range of bao's i've had in my life. The filling was spicy, but other than that it was just a jumble of beef stuff that wasn't too amazing. Fast service, pretty affordable for the Mag Mile, but I'd consider these mostly just as fuel.
(2)Christina N.
I'm a self-proclaimed bao enthusiast and I love the concept of this place! Cha-siu baos from dim sum houses will always be my standard, but dim sum houses don't have buns filled with Thai Curry Chicken or Teriyaki Chicken and that's what Wow Bao brings to the table. It's a fresh concept that still has familiarity for me. Yummy!
(4)PJ K.
Steamed buns, the kind you get at Dim Sum places, filled with your choice of half a dozen pan-Asiany fillings Homogenized, but not really in a bad way. And cheap. And different. In a world that needs more alternatives to the Same Damn Boring Fast Food, this deserves to catch on as a concept.
(4)Gayle J.
WOW bao! I love this place!!! I had bao for the first time about 10 years ago at a friend's house whose parents are from taiwan. I have looked for bao elsewhere (in much smaller cities) and have had difficulty finding any. So when I found this little stand devoted exclusively to these tasty little buns, I was totally psyched. My favorite flavors are the bbq pork and the whole wheat edamame. It's true that there is a little too much bread relative to the amount of filling. Honestly, it's not my favorite option for an actual meal (even though they do have small salads to balance out the bread, meat and sauce from the bao). For me, one bao (two at the most) is an excellent little mid-day snack if I'm running around the river north area.
(3)Nick H.
It must be my tastes. I thought the baos were okay, but the rice dish I got tasted an awful lot like dirt. It could possibly be the overuse of cilantro, but then again it could just be poorly made. The fresh ginger ginger ale was WAY to strong for me, though I do appreciate the idea. For me there are any number of better places for reasonable prices within walking distance.
(2)Mika G.
Every time I'm in Chicago, I look forward to going to Wow Bao. I'd give 5 stars if everything was good, but I only like the Thai curry buns and the coconut custard.... they're delish! I did enjoy the pomegranate ginger ale also. The other flavors are only ok. I brought home to Cali, 4 boxes of the Thai curry buns... I would have brought back more, but they were out of the coconut custard... rats. Oh well.
(3)Rachelle G.
If I'm in the area and not quite ready for a full meal but need something to tide me over, I stop at Wow Bao. A great concept in a high profile area. Flavorful (and tiny) baos filled mainly with different variations of chicken. Some are a bit over the top w/ the ginger. Employees are always friendly.
(3)Gloria H.
3.5 stars - what a pleasant surprise. Ok, we were certain this is a "american" trendy place - it's that BUT the bao (bun) is surprisingly good. Had to try it - got the thai curry bao and the fresh ginger ale. The bao was quite good and the filling was tasty - good job! The fresh ginger ale was a bit disappointing. First sip was full of flavor but that was it... We were impressed enough to tell families/friends about this place and think there's a market for something similar in the Bay Area too!
(3)lesley s.
Probably never would have come here without the urging of a friend, but am so glad I did! If you're out shopping on Michigan Ave. and get a little hungry, run over to Wow Bao and get the teriyaki chicken and thai curry chicken baos. It's the perfect thing to tide you over and two baos will only cost you $3!
(4)Anna K.
I am so addicted to this place. I always eat here when I shop at water tower because the only other options in the building are either subpar (McDonald's) or a little too involved (foodlife). The buns are great. Mongolian Beef is my favorite. I'm also a big fan of the pad thai salad and mocha freeze. The sweet & sour broth is good on a cold day. I miss working on Michigan Avenue just because I don't get to eat at Wow Bao as often.
(4)Kari H.
This place is good but not wow. The fillings are great but the baos could use a little more filling. I feel like the filling to bun ratio is a little lacking and I would like more of the tasty filling. Overall though still good and worth checking out if you haven't tried it yet. The nice part is if you're looking for a snack while shopping or lunch you can order the right amount.
(3)Jennifer B.
WOW BAO! One of the best reasons to brave the Michigan Avenue tourists can be found on the ground floor of Water Tower Place. Wow Bao offers 6-8 different kinds of "bao," warm dumplings filled with sweet or savory fillings, as well as an assortment of other Asian sides. They might not be the most authentic Asian buns in Chicago, but they are soooo good- and cheap! My must-buy list: many baos (whole wheat edamame, coconut custard, chocolate ginger coconut), the spicy peanut noodles (which are actually SPICY), warm vegetable broth, and about a gallon of the homemade fresh ginger ale, which can also be flavored with green tea or pomegranate syrup. You can eat there in the cafeteria one floor up, get your baos to go, or even take home a pack of frozen ones to enjoy later.
(5)Natalie B.
One of the few cheap, fast, healthy and great places to refuel while shopping on Michigan. The Bao are amazing--I have tried them all and can't decide which one I like best.
(4)Allene J.
Decided to drop by Wow Bao for a little snack and break from shopping. Had the combo meal where you get two baos and a thai salad. Chose the kung pao bao and bbq pork bao. Not authentic chinese baos, but hey, what can you expect from a place called Wow Bao and located in the Water Tower, right? The baos were pretty tasty and the combo meal was definitely worth it, even though the salad was meh. This could be a good lunch option if you wanted something light.
(3)Linda M.
I finally got to try Wow Bao since I live in NY now. The bbq pork and coconut custard steamed buns were amazing! The bread is softer and much more lighter than the chinatown versions of these buns. My only objection to the buns is the price - $1.39 for a small bun and $7.99 for six. It was a bit steep for the buns but definitely worth a try!
(4)Vanny K.
These asian buns are so cute, delicious and easy to eat --- that's what she said ... lol. My gf and I got the Thai Curry and Bbq pork which were both so good; I recommend ordering it with the original home made ginger ale which had tiny bits of real ginger in it. And to finish it off, we ordered the froyo drizzled with pomegranate and green tea syrup .... amazing!
(5)Becky S.
This place is awesome! Any time we are down on Michigan Ave (or in the loop at their other location), we eat here. The baos are cheap, filling, and delicious. We tend to only be down in this area when out-of-towners visit us, so we have taken quite a few people here. Everyone has thoroughly enjoyed these baos. Our personal fave is the curry chicken bao, but we also like the BBQ pork and Mongolian spicy beef. The soup is really good as well.
(5)Amy C.
I sometimes view Asian fusion places with hesitation, since I don't feel you can ever go wrong going to Maxim's Bakery in Chinatown for a good quality bao. It sure is a treat to have this place near my school tho, and with such convenience, in a place as well-known as WaterTower no less! since not only do they have the traditional bbq pork bao (my childhood fave) but other baos, it's amazing b/c there's like a dozen different ones you can try. I really liked the cold peanut noodle side dish when I went there recently, and I believe it was their herb ginger chicken broth I had some time ago. super nom nom :D. not to mention its high-tech! you can order at the computer kiosks or in person! I was loving the extra seating at the top of the escalator (to your right, 2nd floor) as well where a friend and I hung out eating our baos. they just need to label the bags maybe tho b/c we got our orders mixed up. her 1 yr old was there and ate almost 1/2 of my food before the inadvertent bao exchange!
(4)Alison C.
I strolled into the Chicago Water Tower on a recent business trip, only to find that the stores had just closed for the evening. I was sadly approaching the exit when an interesting fast food counter caught my eye. I turned to take in the Asian wonder that was Wow Bao. The quick-serve menu was full of healthy, steamed dumplings, stir-fries, multi-grain rice, and more. I was unfortunately full from a large lunch and was planning on a fantastic dinner, so I regretfully decided to pass on a Wow Bao sample. At least that was the plan until I spotted their poster advertising homemade Ginger Ale. I used to love that sugary soda, but had cut it out of my diet because of its poor nutritional value. However, this blend was made from real ginger root. The enticing beverage was available in Original, Green Tea, and Pomegranate. With a lack of willpower, I ordered a glass of the Pomegranate for the road. I popped my straw through the plastic lid and headed out to Michigan Avenue. I took a casual sip of my spicy soda and almost stopped dead in my tracks. The beverage possessed the perfect amount of sweetness and such a natural flavor. I was in love. I even went out of my way for a repeat visit before I headed back to New York. I can only hope (and dream and pray) that Wow Bao heads east so that I can sample their nutritious menu and be reunited with my sassy ale.
(4)Eve V.
Consider this your go-to for fast food Asian style. Wow baos to try: chocolate (filled with nutella-like filling) spicy mongolian beef (flavorful) + pomegranate ginger ale is really refreshing and pretty in hue the so-so: teriyaki chicken spicy kung pao thai curry (after awhile, these three start to taste the same) Service is accurate and super-duper fast. You can spice up your Asian fast-food experience by using the ordering stations that resemble ATM machines. Fun, fast, tasty enough as a midday snack.
(3)Allen L.
Besides the nice decor and stuff, I don't really see what's so WoW about this place. The buns are way over priced for what it is. It don't taste bad, but it just taste like any bao you can get at any chinese bakery for alot cheaper. I was expecting something more different, like a big soft bao with yummy fillings. but eh its just so-so. but i guess this works for those who doesn't eat bao as much as i do.
(3)Danielle K.
So it has been almost 3 years since i've been to Chicago and I swear I thought about hot asian buns way more than many Chicagoians..... I was there this weekend and discovered somehow that Wow Bao has gotten better! COCONUT CUSTARD BAOS!!!! OMFG! I love them. If i could have them shipped to my house weekly I would. AND... if you get so many you don't remember which is which than just flip them over! It says! My craving for wow bao is never satiated but I love each and every one.
(5)Sarah S.
I hate to admit this, but its my dirty little secret. Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao chicken, cabbage bowls.. O my its all so good where do I start. Fast, delicious and yummy (:
(5)Nafeesah A.
My boyfriend and I had lunch there and the portions could be more for the price you pay. If I am going to pay nearly $6 for a rice bowl it could be more in terms of portions with meat and veggies. I've had a lot of better places and I won't be stopping here anymore even if the food was smelling good and calling my name.
(2)Adrienne G.
I love Wow Bao! I used to come here back when I worked around here, after they first opened. Usualy I go to the ones in the loop, but the other day I was doing some shopping and got hungry. Didn't want a bao but I was happy to see that here you can get nappa cabbage in your bowl instead of rice! I got that with teriyaki chicken and it was super-delicious. I just wish that the other locations offered this option as well.
(4)J D.
i feel sort of silly paying $1.29 for one little bun, especially since I can get one twice its size (and twice as good) in chinatown for $0.75 but i guess that's the markup you pay for being on michigan ave... the buns are decent and service is fast enough (beware the super lines during lunch time) my personal faves are the kung pao chicken bao (spicy!) and the mongolian beef bao (spicy too!) and a surprising delicious alternative is the chicken pad thai salad. Not sure why it's called a pad thai salad since it doesn't take anything like pad thai, but it's good in its own right with a nice sesame based vinagrette dressing, very filling! skip the rice bowls, they're mostly rice and taste sort of....weird.
(3)Linda N.
These little treats are so good! I'm used to eating the usual bbq pork baos, so it was nice to try some different ones. My cousin and I had the spicy mongolian beef and the spicy kung pao chicken and they were both really good. Now I want to try them all!
(4)Da J.
THIS IS INSIDE A MALL. It's a nice little food-court-type place. The baozi are good, but non-traditional. I loved their ginger ale and the Pad Thai Salad combo. Very yummy, but the seating situation (two floors up) makes for an awkward experience.
(4)Evann G.
It makes me so happy that there is a place, within walking distance of our condo, where I can buy as many individual bao (what is the plural, anyway?) as I want. They are SO GOOD. And now I don't even have to go to a sit-down restaurant to enjoy them! And they are cheap as well as yummy. This place makes me happy.
(4)Brandi B.
So, we get a couple of bao (my fave is the bbq) and ride up the Water Tower Place escalator, sit on the bench and devour said bao while tourist watching (and fountain watching, but that makes me sleepy). Every bao I've had tastes quite good. Like little pillows filled with deliciousness. And SO CHEAP!
(3)Kathleen C.
A whole meal in a tiny, carb-y package. The fact that you don't need utensils adds a star.
(4)Dee W.
Bao in chinese basically means bun and that's what it is - all this yummy stuff put in a bun and their fresh ginger ale [I'm partial to the pomengrant ginger ale and their hot sweet ginger tea) is the perfect thing to go with the buns, too - if you're hungry on the Magnificent Mile - definately one of the places to hit up
(4)Jisha A.
I love this place and can't resist getting atleast two of their baos everytime I'm in the area : spicy mongolian beef 'n thai chicken are my favorites. I've never actually gotten around to trying anything else on the menu except for their ginger ale (which is pretty good). I'm quite addicted to these and if this place was any closer, I'd be visiting them every day !
(5)Thomas L.
I like this place it's like the White Castle of Asain joints. The boas are the bomb and the side salads are ok. They get cool points for having Asain Coke on tap.
(3)Matthew G.
It seems that Wow Bao definitely has its lovers and its haters. I am in the middle. Wow Bao is good. Definitely not the finest Baos in the land, but not the worst -- still quite tasty and satisfying. They make a good light lunch or a nice snack. Wow Bao is not far from my office, so I will go there from time to time. I have to admit that I have only order 3 things: curry chicken bao, mongolian beef bao and the Kung Pao Chicken rice bowl with nappa cabbage in lieu of rice. I like them all. I don't really have a problem with the amount of filling inside -- I think it's just enough. The flavors are really good with the perfect amount of spiciness. I also like the rice bowl -- it's spicy, saucy and satisfying. I also love that you can replace the rice with cabbage -- less carbs and better flavor. I have tried the ginger ale and must say that I really do like it. It is mega-gingery (which I love) and really packs a bite. I rather wish there was a sugar-free version, but that would likely alter the taste quite a lot. As it is, it makes a nice occasional treat. I guess the only thing I am not crazy about is the seating. You have to cart your lunch up a couple of escalators. There are a few (very few) tables located in a hallway right beside the escalator bay. The tables are frequently full. The view is certainly not stunning -- there's really nothing to see. If you have forgotten something (napkins, chopsticks), you have to schlep all the way back downstairs to get it. In short, Wow Bao is a good place for a nice, satisfying lunch. You won't be too full and you won't be leaving hungry -- a concept I like very much!
(3)Philip P.
Just a trendy fad? Maybe. Authentic? Nope. Fast and delicious? Yes! Sometimes you're just in the mood for a fluffy, twisty, meat-filled bun. I don't know if it's the presentation, the name, or the surprising texture (probably all of the above), but this place has some kind of spell over me. The fact that you can buy them frozen and that they're just thrown into the steamer doesn't even put me off. More bao please!
(4)george s.
Taste is okay, though a little too doughy and not much filling. I think the real reason it had no customers on the day I went (at noon on a weekday, after they sent out a text offering free baos) was the really rude manager, the high prices, and the fact that they got my order wrong twice in the same trip.
(2)Izzy N.
Hmmm, If Wow bao was an asian person.. they would be the one that has only white friends with the exception of a few asian and other minority friends here and there that they met through their brother or in college, only dates white people, isn't the most well informed on their culture, can read some of their written asian language to get by but for sure not know how to write it. Sounds like ME!! The difference is that I'm not a phoney and all hype.. ya know, nothing to back it up with. It's just noise. Definently not all that! Nothing to call home to my mommy out in the westcoast and brag about. It makes me remember, Oh yeah.. I'm in the midwest... this kind of trickery should be expected. I mean I love my americanized greasy chinese food from time to time but this? No, no NO! I agree with the other native westcoaster, McDonald's would make a better meal. McDonald's Happy Meal can beat this shit. This place belongs in the same family as Panda Express. Phony ass bitch. I'll be damned if a co-worker or friend drags me here in the future.
(1)Vivian Y.
Mmm.Hot Asian Buns - that is their motto! Please don't get me wrong - I don't think this place is authentic Chinese AT ALL - HOWEVER - I do think their buns are tasty and I can appreciate that this offers an opportunity to have the more "vanilla food folks" a chance to get introduced to a tasty "bao". I do enjoy their different fillings, not typical of just the standard char siu bao, or custard bao. I think I like the mongolian beef the best but did enjoy the new introductory spicy eggplant bao in a whole wheat bun (think "yoo heng kei zhi"). The best time to come here is not for an actual meal but for a snack, during your shopping trips, between meals. I also like to pick up a box of frozen mixed bao's for my husband who likes this pan asian style of food. (pop the frozen bao in the microwave wrapped with a damp paper towel and it tastes just like in the restaurant - wait, who am I kidding? Ok, close to how the restaurant would prepare it) Yea, not cheap, but I see this as paying for a novelty. I know I can get WAY bigger and more authentic bao in Chinatown for half the price but you can't get the creative fillings from Wow Bao. I've never had a problem with quality here and love that the buns come right out of the steamer so they are never just luke warm. I think these buns are pleasing to just about any palatte and can satisfy any picker eater. Give it a try if you haven't already!
(3)Sady C.
WoW bAoS is a big wow factor for sure. the bao buns are soft, warm, perfectly seasoned (not too salty, or TOO SAUCY) which makes for a perfect mouthwatering bun in your mouth. every bite is memorable, even though its pretty small.. the terriyaki chicken bowl is very skimpy on the chicken and vegetables for $6. but i dont think i've had jasmine rice that was so fresh and fluffy.... the bowls is something i would have once in a while but nothing crazy to go over.. overall if i were to judge this based on the buns, it would be a 4. but for the bowl too, -1. :0 HAPPY EATS !
(3)Desiree K.
I just love Wao Bao and their amazing way to satisfy my "need to get some healthy lunch for a change" craving in the South Loop. I really like their vegetarian Bao's which are the "buns" everyone talks about, be sure to get them with the sweet soy sauce. Also their salads are very fresh and super refreshing; they're paired with a light vinaigrette which really hits the spot. Side note, salads can be found in the cooler near the line. Oh, and be sure to try their homemade ginger ale...they do not scrimp on the ginger and it's a perfect way to end a flavorful lunch. My only complaint for Wow Bao is how noisy it is inside...this is not the place to go if you're looking to have a some "conversations over lunch"....I always feel like I have to yell in here. This might be a better place to get lunch to-go from.
(4)James Z.
I've been meaning to stop at Wow Bao, and we finally visited the one on N. Michigan: It is a wonderful place for lunch. On this visit we tried several different baos in order to sample the contents, like the kunp pao, the curry, and mongolian beef. All were great, and we plan to return to sample more baos, along with other items on the menu. Julie was gracious to introduce us to the menu. It was good to try the dessert boas, with the coconut cream being as tasty as Julie promised it would be. For quick, tasty, flavorful lunch or light meal, this is a wonderful place to visit. Even if we stop just for the homemade ginger ale, it's worth it!
(4)Susan F.
The balls, I guess the baos? I had two with spicy chicken and kung pao chicken. They were not good, barely had any filling in them. I am not impressed, at all.
(1)Julia L.
These baos' are pretty decent. Not the best I've had. I also think they are ridiculously overpriced, especially for how tiny they are. You can just go to Chinatown and buy a huge bag of frozen Baos that taste better and twice as big for only a couple bucks more. The only reason I ever eat Wow Bao is because I can never seem to wait for dinner and need a snack to hold me over. Otherwise, I try and refrain from buying them. Don't get me wrong, they are good. It's just the ratio of the size compared to the price is just not worth it for me, but if I were to choose, my favorite bao is definitely the BBQ pork, and their Thai iced coffee is pretty good too. If you never tried Wow Bao before, I do recommend to try it at least once, but after that, it literally is a been there, done that experience.
(3)becki s.
A girl can work up an appetite shopping all day, so I really liked having an afternoon snack at wow Bao. The little warm doughy morsels came to me fast, were tastey and fulfilling, and made me crave more!! I want to go back and try the pad thai salad (bc i love ALL things pad Thai) and I want to try all the bao flavors...its like collecting pogs or something, you have to have them all! (did saying pogs date me?? eek!)
(4)Stacy T.
Eh - coming from the land of the Asians in San Francisco, I've picked up better baos for 75 cents. Not worth the commercialized hype. I'd eat it again only if I were starving and there wasn't a McDonalds around.
(2)Carolina P.
I really like the curry bao's. This is a great little find on michigan avenue. Sometimes its hard to find a seat at water tower place but it doesn't take away form the food. Wow Bao has combo's and my favorite is adding on a salad. Recently the salad became bigger and I'm happy about that.
(4)Ron C.
I think the baos here are pretty good. They come in a variety of tastes but I think the BBQ pork is probably the best, since I can't really take spicy. The meats although don't seem real, are extremely tasty and the bao texture has a good chew. I also love their rices but I hardly ever get them since I'm alway son the go when I'm up on N. Michigan. I'm happy that Wow Bao has been able to expand so quickly and so well and I commend their success. Keep up the good work.
(4)Muriel P.
got the chicken potstickers and the vegetables one, with soy and ginger sauce and mustard. The chickens potstickers were too salty. The vegi ones were nice with the ginger soy sauce. All and all, i would go back all the time because i am a sucker for potstickers.
(4)Aileen O.
These buns can get addicting! I love the fact that the bao don't feel heavy in my stomach. My favorite is the edamame bao. I can't give this place five stars because I feel I can get cheaper and bigger buns in Chinatown. But you can't beat this location! For Americanized siopao, this rocks.
(4)ro k.
The edamame bun was great, but I did have to wait a few minutes for it since I don't think they make a ton of them. The homemade ginger ale had a fantastic kick to it! I need the recipe for this. Great snack for me on the way to Auntie Anne's.
(4)Jamie R.
i have no shame. i'll admit it. i'm a pretty creepy eater...if i find something i like, i tend to eat it until i find a foreign object or the restaurant goes out of business. wow bao has not disappointed yet. working upstairs from them just about did me in. i switched jobs two months ago and they still remember my order. i even got a secret love letter in the bottom of my bag one day.... p.s. their lemonade is great...although they do literally pour it out of a bucket...but if you have no sanitation qualms...go for it. enjoy.
(5)madison z.
I believe the first time I was exposed to crack, was in a 6-pack of these buns. After the wonderfully flavorful experience of eating these buns, and washing down the spicy ones with SPICY ginger drink, I gasped for air and at the realization that I live about ten miles away and it would be a rare 'til we meet again' experience. Good stuff, can't complain about the prices, I spend more on cigarettes each day!
(4)Christina M.
For me, the thought of "mall Chinese" brings back nightmarish memories of Manchu Wok and other places where $4.99 buys you a plate of fried rice and lumpy, greasy teriyaki chicken. Not so with Wow Bao. I was in Chicago with my family and looking for a quick, inexpensive place to eat on the Magnificent Mile. I suggested Wow Bao and found that it does live up to the good reviews. I got the combo with 2 buns and a pad Thai salad. The BBQ pork and curry chicken bao were excellent. No problems with undercooked buns here...just fluffy, warm dough with flavorful fillings. The pad Thai salad had a great dressing and fresh Thai basil, which pleasantly surprised me. My only gripe is that the buns are a bit tiny. Maybe it was just that I was hungry but I found the 2 bun combo not quite enough to satisfy. Also, for being in such an upscale tourist area, the dining area was quite small and dingy with tiny, wobbly tables and overflowing garbage cans. They ought to at least wipe down the tables and sweep up the litter more regularly. Overall, I would recommend Wow Bao and would stop by if I'm in the area again. It may not be authentic, but hey, it's good enough.
(4)Ali R.
For a quick snack, this place is great. But that's about it. It is decent and flavorful but there's not one hint of authenticity here. The ginger ale is weird and I question how they can call this original. It's ginger syrup and sparkling water. At $1.50 a pop, you better be hungry because it's really not worth it otherwise.
(2)El gee O.
This place rules end of story. From their hot Asian buns, to their banging Thai salads, to the hibiscus lemonade. You will never be disappointed, the end.
(5)Rahul I.
Baos here are among the best my wife and I have eaten. My wife is from Vietnam, and though the fillings are a bit Americanized, the quality is right on the mark.
(5)Happiness L.
Fast, friendly service and good food. Excellent prices. Simple. Looking forward to trying their yogurt.
(4)Colleen R.
Wow, so many things worthy of five stars... + pomegranate ginger ale + chocolate coconut bao + teriyaki chicken rice bowl + super-fast service + prices only a little bit higher than the chains in the area for lunch + fun social media promotions (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare) that reward your loyalty Note: there are a few small tables upstairs here, but it's better if you get your food to go. Also, this location has frozen yogurt.
(5)Tori M.
What a great idea! I'm from Minnesota and we don't have these in our state... but damn! I wish we did. Being downtown for an interview and needing a quite bite to stave off my nerves, i thought I'd give these a go. The edamame bao was super tasty and the teriyaki chicken bao was also really good. If I'm ever down in that neighborhood again, I think I'd have to give every one a go. Granted, they're not super authentic, but that's ok. For fast food, they're decent as heck.
(4)Alan N.
WOW not so good BAO! If I really had a taste for Bao I might eat these again, maybe. We tried the Teri Chicken and BBQ Pork and while the fillings were passable (barely) the dough was sticky, pasty and just not very pleasant. Obviously if you're looking for authentic (Char Siu Bao) or Hawaiian (Manapua) steamed buns you need to pass on these but if you've never had either of the aforementioned then you might like these. There was a pretty good line waiting for these so they must have some redeeming quality (that I am missing).
(2)Allison S.
I love bao, and these arent as good as authentic chinese ones, but great to pick up quickly as a snack while shopping. The dough is perfect, and most of them are good. I like the whole wheat edamame because it has wheat dough, but I love the teriyaki chicken and barbeque pork also. I've never had the dessert bao but I have heard they are good and want to try them. I like the froyo. Its not very sweet, but if you like asian style tangy yogurt this is the best. i love it with the fresh ginger syrup!
(4)April P.
This place is delicious. The seating is upstairs. Check it out. So yummy!
(4)Damian C.
$1.55 for a hot little bun of happiness - SOLD!
(5)